Healthy Recipe: Ochazuke (Rice With Green Tea)

It’s so simple and yet so healing.

March 15, 2024 • By Cook for Your Life

At its core, this Japanese comfort food is just rice and freshly green tea. It’s so simple and yet so healing when body is drained or needs nourishment during the more challenging periods of treatment. We’ve suggested a few simple toppings to start with, but there are many ways to customize this dish to fit everyone’s needs.

2 servings

7 ingredients

20 min prep

Ingredients

2 cups Brown Rice, cooked (for a Bland Diet see Chef Tips)
¼ cup spinach, chopped & blanched
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons miso paste (optional)
2 cups green tea, brewed
Nori seaweed, or other to taste (see Chef Tips)

Directions

Divide rice, spinach, sesame seeds and scallions evenly between two bowls. Add a teaspoon of miso paste into each, if using.
Pour hot green tea evenly over each bowl. Top with seaweed. Eat hot.

Chef Tips

Substitute cooked white rice if you are on a bland diet. Instead of toasted sesame seeds which might irritate, try using a little gomashio, (sesame salt). Buy it in the macrobiotic sections of most health food stores. It’s quite delicious.

Nori is the crisp dark green sheets of seaweed used to wrap around sushi. It is great used as a condiment shredded or crumbled over soups or over rice, as here. Find it in the Asian or international food section in most markets.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 231; Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Carbohydrates: 47g; Sugar: 0g; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 6g; Sodium: 8mg

Registered Dietitian Approved

Your recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Researchand the American Cancer Society.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.