Mushroom Rice (Manitarorizo)

Mushroom rice, known in Greece as manitarorizo, is a comforting and flavorful dish that brings together mushrooms, olive oil, and rice in the traditional Greek way of cooking starch directly in the sauce.

This dish can be made in many ways depending on what you have on hand. It can be finished with lemon or tomato, with or without wine, and with different grains.

Mushrooms give the dish a deep, rich flavor, making it one of the most satisfying variations of the rizi dishes.

Ingredients

Everything here is flexible. What matters is building flavor slowly and keeping the finished dish soft rather than dry.

Instructions

Build the Flavor Base

1. Generously coat the bottom of a pot with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Add the onion, and leeks or green onions if using, plus a pinch of salt.
3. Sauté until soft.

Add Garlic and Mushrooms

4. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
5. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt.
6. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to soften.

Add Wine if Using

7. If using wine, add it now and let it cook off for a few minutes.
8. Use white wine for the lemon version and red wine for the tomato version.

Add Tomato or Build the Lemon Base

9. If making the tomato version, add the tomato paste and sauté briefly, then add a little water.
10. If making the lemon version, add water or broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
11. You can also add the lemon zest at this stage.

Add the Rice

12. Add the rice, salt, pepper, and herbs.
13. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
14. Add more warm liquid as needed. The dish should stay soft and slightly creamy.

Finish Like a Greek

15. Turn off the heat.
16. Add fresh lemon juice, even if using the tomato version, and drizzle generously with more olive oil.
17. Top with Parmesan if desired.

Tips

Mushrooms Are Flexible

You can use:

• baby bella
• white button
• a mix of mushrooms

Mushrooms can also be frozen if you have extra.

Build Flavor with What You Have

This is a very flexible dish. You can use:

• onion, leeks, or green onions
• different herbs
• wine or no wine

It will still work beautifully.

The Texture

• More liquid gives a creamier result.
• Less liquid gives a drier result.

Variations

Lemon Version

Lighter and brighter, often paired with white wine.

Tomato Version

Richer and deeper, especially with red wine.

With Farro or Barley

For a heartier, more rustic version, replace the rice with:

• farro
• pearled barley

These grains take longer to cook and require more liquid, but pair beautifully with mushrooms.

Add Greens

You can add:

• spinach
• chard

for a more vegetable-forward dish.

Serving

Serve warm with:

• Crusty bread
• Feta cheese or Parmesan
• Olives

And always a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Why This Dish Matters

Manitarorizo shows how the Greek method of cooking starch in sauce can be adapted in many ways.

It is:

• simple
• flexible
• deeply satisfying