INSTANT POT GREEK CABBAGE RICE RECIPE (LAHANORIZO)

This classic Instant Pot Greek Cabbage Rice recipe creates a fulfilling entree, ready in less than 40 minutes. A wholesome meal of cooked cabbage with savoury vegetables and rice – it’s huge in flavour and low in cost and effort!

Greek Cabbage Rice, known as Lahanorizo or Λαχανόρυζο (pronounced Laha-no-rizo) is a mouthwatering meal that is hearty enough to be an entree and also makes for a great side dish. It is part of a group of Greek dishes that are vegetable and rice-based such as Spanikorizo and Prasorizo. These dishes are similar because the flavours combine smoothly and you can’t tell where one ingredient ends and another begins. The flavours melt together and the texture is rich and creamy without the addition of dairy. It’s almost like a stew but not as liquidy as a stew. Now for the taste… imagine buttery-flavoured cooked cabbage with tangy lemon and dill, and savoury leek, onion, and garlic, combined with rice and cooked to perfection, to make a creamy vegan dish.

It’s so simple yet so delicious. With the help of the Instant Pot, our Greek Cabbage Rice recipe is ready to eat by the time you set the table!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE OUR INSTANT POT GREEK CABBAGE RICE RECIPE

• Delicious! All the ingredients cook perfectly together. There are so many different flavour elements that blend together like a dream.
• Fast! Isn’t the Instant Pot fantastic for time-saving? About 5 minutes to saute, 4 minutes of pressure cooking time, and 10 minutes of Natural Pressure Release. This dish is on your table ready to eat within 40 minutes without any effort.
• Super healthy! Cabbage is a low-caloric and nutrient-dense vegetable that is filled with so many good things for you! Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre. They help you feel full and satisfied longer which is great for weight loss. The addition of extra virgin olive oil elevates the heart-healthy and antioxidant compounds which have made the traditional Mediterranean diet so famous.
• Budget-friendly! The cost of living is rising in pretty much all parts of the globe. With this, people are looking for economical ways to eat healthy on a budget. Cabbage is the perfect vegetable! It is relatively cheap, has a long shelf-life, and is easy to find at almost all supermarkets.
• Plant-based! Yay for plant-based cooking! The traditional Greek diet is renowned for having naturally vegan dishes. A diet rich in plant-based food is associated with an incredible amount of health benefits. It is also great for the environment as plant-based food has a smaller environmental footprint than meat-based agriculture. One baby step toward a cleaner world for us all!
• Top Allergen-Free! For anyone who lives with a food allergy, you know how challenging it can be to eat safe, comfort-style foods. Whilst safety is of utmost concern, it is often sacrificed with higher food prices and difficult-to-find ingredients. As with many recipes here on Athena Pot, Instant Pot Greek Cabbage Rice is another one that strives to meet “top allergen-free” criteria. Carefully check the ingredients on the bouillon cube, as some can contain milk or wheat, but as an alternative, you can substitute this with 1 tablespoon of a safe soup seasoning mixture or 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

TONY’S NOTES!

“If there is a meal that I discovered and appreciated more as an adult, that would be cabbage rice. Extremely cheap, extremely nutritious, and easy to prepare.

As a child, I remember that my mother never made it and as far as I remember, it wasn’t popular back then. It was just a remnant of the past from when people were poor and trying to feed their families with simple, cheap, and easy-to-find ingredients. In the last decade though we rediscovered our old, humble recipes and appreciated their amazing flavour and nutritious value. Sweet, sour, and fresh flavours will make you love this meal. You wouldn’t believe how such a simple dish could taste so amazing until you try it! So, just try it!”

PREPARATION NOTES FOR INSTANT POT GREEK CABBAGE RICE RECIPE

Our Instant Pot Greek Cabbage recipe is super easy to prepare. Whilst it’s not a dump-and-go recipe, it only requires a few easy steps to prepare. The cabbage and vegetables can be chopped earlier in the day to save time if needed too.

The first step is to chop up the leaves of a fresh, small to medium-sized head of green cabbage. The pieces should be larger than if you were preparing coleslaw because it needs to retain a nice texture. Next, finely chop the onion, the white part of the leek, the garlic, the fresh green onion, and the dill.

Add half a cup of the olive oil to the liner of the Instant Pot and set to Saute. Reserve the remaining olive oil for after the cooking process. Add the red onion to the pot when the liner gets hot. Stir fry it for about 2 minutes so it softens, making sure it doesn’t burn. Next add the leek, garlic, fresh green onion, and a half cup of chopped dill, and stir fry for an additional 1 minute. This step is important to caramelize the vegetables and release their sweet flavour.

Place the rice in a sieve and rinse well under running water until the water running through it is clear. This step takes about 10 seconds but is important to remove the access starch. Add the rinsed rice to the cooked onion mixture and stir in the water to combine. Stir in the bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Turn off the saute setting.

Add the chopped cabbage to the liner in batches approximately the size of two handfuls. Mix well after adding each batch. Do not dump all the cabbage at once as it won’t fit in the pot. Let it cook for about one minute before adding the next batch. Repeat until you have added all the cabbage. Cabbage shrinks down as it cooks so adding it in batches prevents it from spilling out of the pot.

Once all of the cabbage is added and mixed well, close the lid of the Instant Pot. Carefully turn the release valve to the closed position. Set the manual pressure cook timer to 4 minutes.

When the cooking is complete, allow Natural Pressure Release to happen for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully turn the pressure release valve to allow for a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining chopped dill, and remaining olive oil.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTANT POT GREEK CABBAGE RICE

Greek Cabbage Rice is most commonly served as an entree. It is a fulfilling vegan meal that you can enjoy during Lent, on Meatless Mondays, or any day at all!

Lahanorizo also goes well as a side when paired with a simple roasted or grilled meat dish, especially pork.

For seasoning, if you prefer a brighter taste, season it with a bit of extra freshly squeezed lemon. If you want to add a gourmet twist you can serve it with some feta cheese. The saltiness of the feta adds another wonderful layer of flavour to this multifaceted dish.

ALLERGY INFORMATION FOR GREEK CABBAGE RICE

Our Greek Cabbage Rice is:

• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Nut-free
• Peanut-free
• Wheat-free
• Soy-free
• Sesame-free
• Fish-free
• Crustacean-free
• Celery-free
• Mustard-free

Always check food labels to ensure the ingredients comply with dietary needs. Some bouillon contains dairy and wheat. This can be substituted for soup salt or plain salt.

HOW TO STORE INSTANT POT LAHANORIZO

Store leftover Instant Pot Greek Cabbage Rice in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will thicken when stored overnight. You may prefer to add a touch of water to thin it out when reheating.

This dish, like many soups and stews, is even more delicious when served the next day!

I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture will not be pleasant when reheating.

TRY THESE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT GREEK VEGAN RECIPES NEXT!

If you loved this recipe – please let us know what you think in the comments… and please share!!