Description
A beautiful rice salad with nuts, fruit and citrus. This makes a great side dish for brunches and dinner parties because you can do all the prep ahead of time and the textures and flavors are incredible.
Minimally adapted from a recipe in Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
Ingredients
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- 1 cup raw brown rice or Camargue red rice (see notes)
- 1 cup raw quinoa
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium white onion, halved and sliced
- Grated zest and juice of one orange
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 bunch (about 6) green onions (scallions), thinly sliced crosswise
- 3/4 cup dried apricots cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup toasted or roasted pistachios, roughly chopped (see notes)
- 2 big handfuls (about 2 ounces) baby arugula (rocket), roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more, to taste
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Instructions
- In two separate saucepans cook the rice and quinoa in salted water following the package directions. Check for doneness a few minutes early to ensure the grains are tender but still have some bite. Drain them in a mesh colander and spread them out on two separate rimmed baking sheets so they cool quickly.
- While the grains are simmering, sauté the onion in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, lemon juice, remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil and garlic with the rest of the ingredients: cooled rice and quinoa, sautéed onion, scallions, diced apricots, toasted pistachios, arugula, salt and pepper. Toss to mix, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer rice salad to a platter and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Rice: While Ottolenghi's original recipe calls for Camargue Red Rice (a colorful variety with a nutty flavor), a good quality brown rice is a perfect substitute that yields a delicious result.
- Pistachios: To toast raw pistachios, place them in a heavy skillet over medium high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. If you want to skip the step of toasting raw pistachios, look for roasted pistachios at the grocery store or order them online.
- Nutrition Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation.