Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups (100 grams) tightly packed spinach, divided
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion (90 to 100 grams; heaping 1/2 cup), minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup jasmine or other long-grain rice, rinsed thoroughly until the water runs clear
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
One 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup (5 grams) roughly chopped mint
1/2 lemon, zested
1/3 cup (50 to 60 grams) crumbled goat cheese
2 poached eggs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400° F.
In a blender, combine the broth, 1 cup of tightly-packed spinach, and the cilantro. Blend until mostly smooth.
In a large, ovenproof pot (like a Dutch oven), melt the butter. Add the minced onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the rice and salt and stir to coat the grains in butter. Pour in the green broth and add the beans and peas. Cover the pot and bake for exactly 17 minutes. If the liquid is not fully absorbed, send the pot back into the oven for 10 or 15 additional minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and use a fork to fluff it. Add the mint, lemon zest, goat cheese, and remaining 1 cup tightly-packed spinach. Taste for salt.
Top with a poached egg, if you’d like.
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Jasmine rice should be rinsed thoroughly until the water runs completely clear to remove excess starch, ensuring fluffy, separate grains after baking.
- White beans (cannellini or great northern) add plant-based protein and a creamy texture that pairs beautifully with the herby green broth.
- Blending fresh spinach and cilantro directly into the broth is the secret to the dish's stunning color and layered herbal flavor without extra effort.
- Frozen peas need no thawing — they go straight into the pot and cook perfectly during the 17-minute oven bake.
- Goat cheese stirred in at the end melts slightly into the hot rice, adding a tangy, creamy richness that ties all the spring flavors together.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- White beans and rice together form a complementary amino acid profile, making this a satisfying plant-based protein source per serving.
- Spinach and cilantro blended into the broth contribute meaningful amounts of vitamin K, folate, and vitamin A to every serving.
- Goat cheese provides calcium and healthy fats while being slightly lower in lactose than cow's-milk cheeses, making it easier to digest for some people.
- The lemon zest adds vitamin C which can help enhance the absorption of plant-based (non-heme) iron found in the spinach and white beans.
- Frozen peas retain most of their nutrients through freezing and contribute fiber, vitamin C, and additional plant protein to the dish.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories420
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat9 g72 g12.5%
- Saturated Fat5 g20 g25%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat2 g
- Cholesterol22 mg300 mg7.33%
- Sodium780 mg2300 mg33.91%
- Total Carbohydrate65 g275 g23.64%
- Dietary Fiber9 g28 g32.14%
- Total Sugars4 g
- Added Sugars0 g50 g0%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein18 g50 g36%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)4 mcg20 mcg20%
- Calcium180 mg1300 mg13.85%
- Iron5 mg18 mg27.78%
- Potassium620 mg4700 mg13.19%
- Vitamin A2800 mcg900 mcg311.11%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)18 mg90 mg20%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)1 mg15 mg6.67%
- Vitamin K120 mcg120 mcg100%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.3 mg1.2 mg25%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.2 mg1.3 mg15.38%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)2.5 mg16 mg15.63%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.3 mg1.7 mg17.65%
- Folate140 mcg400 mcg35%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0.2 mcg2.4 mcg8.33%
- Biotin4 mcg30 mcg13.33%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.6 mg5 mg12%
- Choline48 mg550 mg8.73%
- Phosphorus280 mg1250 mg22.4%
- Iodine8 mcg150 mcg5.33%
- Magnesium90 mg420 mg21.43%
- Zinc2.2 mg11 mg20%
- Selenium14 mcg55 mcg25.45%
- Copper0.4 mg0.9 mg44.44%
- Manganese1.2 mg2.3 mg52.17%
- Chromium8 mcg35 mcg22.86%
- Molybdenum55 mcg45 mcg122.22%
- Chloride210 mg2300 mg9.13%
