These Lebanese rice bowls are topped with seasoned beef, garlicky hummus, cucumber yogurt sauce and more. The ultimate meal-in-a-bowl!
Today’s recipe is another meal inspired by my time at the Fresh Air Retreat in Scottsdale. Minute Rice joined us and we had such a great time, it led me to create these Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus. They make the perfect lunch or dinner, and with Minute Rice Cups, it’s easy to make quickly!
At the retreat, Minute Rice challenged us all to a “build your own bowl” competition, where everyone was able to pick their rice cup and assemble a bowl with a huge assortment of different toppings, sauces, proteins, and veggies. Can you see where the inspiration for this dish came from?
Along with Minute Rice, we were lucky to have many wonderful sponsors at Fresh Air Retreat this year, including Stonyfield, AdThrive, Zwilling, and Grace and Vine. Everyone in attendance learned so much, and I cannot wait until future retreats and what more we have to learn and share!
Why use Minute Rice Cups
Minute Rice is dedicated to creating delicious, time-saving products that help make it easy to take a moment for yourself no matter how busy you are. Here are some reasons I use Minute Rice Cups:
- Fast and easy to make, you’re only 60 seconds away from delicious rice.
- Great to take with you on-the-go, making it perfect for an easy lunch or snack.
- Lightly flavored and pair well with a variety of dishes.
- Perfectly portioned to provide just the right amount of carbs for all-day energy, without overeating.
- Are BPA-free and 100% recyclable.
Ingredients
- For the bowls: 4 Minute Rice Cups, hummus, Lebanese cucumber yogurt sauce (laban), ground beef, za’atar tomato salad, pickled turnips, thinly sliced red onions, minced parsley, and toasted pine nuts.
- For the Lebanese cucumber yogurt sauce: plain yogurt, minced cucumber, dried mint, lemon juice, garlic, and salt & pepper.
- For the za’atar tomato salad: diced tomato, parsley, za’atar, olive oil, and salt & pepper.
- For the seasoned ground beef: clarified butter, ground sirloin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt & pepper.
How to Make LEbanese Rice Bowls with Hummus
Start your Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus by making the Lebanese yogurt sauce (laban). Mince a cucumber and put it in a medium sized bowl, then add the plain yogurt.
Next add the dried mint and lemon juice.
Finish with grated garlic and some salt & pepper, then stir and set aside.
Next you’ll make your tomato salad. Add diced tomated to a small bowl, then add the za’atar and parsley.
Drizzle in the olive oil and sprinkle with some salt & pepper, stir and set aside as well.
Then you’ll make your Minute Rice Cups and cook your ground beef.
Once everything is cooked and ready, put the Minute Rice in a bowl, topped with the ground beef and a dollop of hummus. I like to make my own hummus, but storebought works as well!
Next add a dollop of laban.
And the tomato salad.
Finish your bowl with any assortment of toppings, like red onion, pickled turnips, fresh parsley, and toasted pine nuts. Serve and enjoy your Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus!
Easy Substitutions
- Use different rice. Minute Rice Cups come in an assortment of types, including white, brown, jasmine, quinoa, and more! Experiment and use what you like!
- Try different toppings. Add diced cucumber, baby spinach, corn, black beans, or anything else you can think of.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is this a version of a grain bowl?
Whatever you want to call it, a grain bowl, macro bowl, hippie bowl, or power bowl, this dish would fall in the mix.
Are hummus bowls healthy?
Hummus is a great source of protein and fiber, and is a very nutrient-dense food. Making it a very healthy option!
Can I make these bowls in advance?
While I wouldn’t recommend putting all of the ingredients together ahead of time, the different parts can definitely be made in advance and then assembled for a quick lunch or dinner!
More RIce Recipes
- Lebanese Hushwee Rice
- Greek Spinach Rice
- Lebanese Rice Salad
- Cuban Black Beans and Rice
- Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli
Eat It, Like It, Share It!
Did you try this rice bowl recipe? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your meal.
Experiment with the rice, the toppings, or even the sauces! But whatever you choose, my Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus are a great start to a delicious, healthy meal.
Your spoon is waiting.
Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus
Ingredients
- 4 Minute Rice Cups (such as white rice, jasmine or basmati )
- ½ cup hummus (store-bought or homemade )
- 1 cup Lebanese cucumber yogurt sauce
- 2 cups seasoned ground beef
- 1 cup za'atar tomato salad
- pickled turnips, thinly sliced red onions, minced parsley, toasted pine nuts (optional garnish)
Lebanese Laban Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup cucumber (minced)
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Za'atar Tomato Salad
Seasoned Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Before you being assembling your rice bowls, prepare all of the components. To prepare the cucumber yogurt sauce, simply mix all ingredients in a small bowl (yogurt through salt and pepper) then mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly; set aside.
- Next, mix together the za'atar tomato salad in a small bowl. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly; set aside.
- If you're making homemade hummus, follow this recipe otherwise, feel free to use store-bought.
- When you're ready to cook the seasoned beef, melt the clarified butter over a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin then season with cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, carefully break down the meat in to bite-sized pieces. Continue browning until fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes; set aside.
- To assemble the bowls, follow the Minute Rice Cups package instructions to cook properly. Place four bowls out and fill each bowl with one cup of Minute Rice. Next, top each cup with equal parts of the seasoned ground beef. Next, dollop a couple tablespoons of hummus and cucumber yogurt sauce in each bowl. Lastly, scoop on a bit of the za'atar tomato salad and garnish with pickled turnips, red onions, minced parley and toasted pine nuts if you wish. Enjoy warm!
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is a collaboration with Minute Rice. I was compensated to write this post. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Lemon Bowl possible. All thoughts are my own.