Lemony Courgette Fried Rice

Lemony Courgette Fried Rice

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to when we want something quick, fresh, and genuinely satisfying. Grated courgette, briny olives, zingy lemon, and wilted spinach all stirred through fluffy fried rice sounds simple, but it absolutely delivers. The lemon zest is the thing that ties everything together, giving it this bright, almost summery lift that makes you feel like you're eating somewhere much warmer than your kitchen. We love it for a weeknight dinner when we want proper flavour without a massive effort. Make it tonight and you'll see exactly why it's become a regular in our rotation.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Box grater
  • Microwave the puy lentils

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 50g pitted green olives
  • 2 medium courgettes
  • 2 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 x 250g bag of microwaveable puy lentils
  • 50g baby spinach
  • 5g fresh basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp plant-based pesto
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp water
  • sprouted seeds
  • mixed seeds

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Peel and finely dice the onion.
  • Peel and finely slice the garlic.
  • Cut the olives into slices.
  • Trim the courgettes and grate with the coarse side of the box grater.
  • Zest and halve the lemon.
  • Roughly shred the spinach.
  • Pick the basil leaves from the stems and finely slice the stems.
  • Microwave the rice.
2

Prepare the base

  • Warm the olive oil in the pan over medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt and stir for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, basil stems, lemon zest and stir for 1 minute.
  • Add the olives and stir for 2 minutes.
  • Add the courgette and stir for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the Nooch and stir to combine.
  • Add the rice to the pan and fold to combine.
  • Turn the heat right down.
3

Prepare your drizzle

  • Add the pesto, olive oil and water to a small bowl and stir to combine - this should be loose enough to drizzle freely, add more water if your drizzle needs it.
4

Finish and serve

  • Squeeze the lemon juice over the rice, taste and season to perfection with salt, pepper and more Nooch.
  • Spoon over the Pesto Drizzle.
  • Sprinkle the dish with the sprouted seeds, mixed seeds and basil leaves.
  • Spoon your Lemony Courgette Fried Rice into bowls and serve immediately.

Tips & Variations

  • Squeeze more lemon: We always add an extra squeeze of lemon juice right at the end, just before serving. It wakes everything up and stops it feeling heavy.
  • Salt your courgette: If you've got a spare five minutes, toss the grated courgette with a pinch of salt and leave it in a sieve. It draws out the moisture so it fries rather than steams, and you get a better texture in the final dish.
  • Make it heartier: This is brilliant as it is but if you want to bulk it out, stir through a tin of drained chickpeas when you add the rice. They crisp up a bit in the pan and make it feel more like a proper feast.

Why This Works

The trick here is grating the courgette rather than chopping it; it cooks down really quickly and weaves into the rice so every mouthful has that gentle, savoury flavour without big chunks getting in the way. Using pre-microwaved rice means you get that slightly dried-out texture that's perfect for frying, which is exactly what you want. And don't skip the lemon zest at the end, trust us on this one. It completely transforms the dish.