How to Create the Perfect Rice Salad

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I know what you guys are thinking...rice salad? But hear me out - rice salads are perfect for the person who is not a huge "salad" person in the traditional sense. I'm not a big lettuce person, unless it's from Sweetgreen, but this girl cannot afford a $10 salad more than a few times a month...enter: salads without the lettuce/leafy greens. 

Here are the essentials for what you'll need: 

Fresh Herbs. Probably the most essential part of a successful rice salad is the use of fresh herbs - my favorites are parsley for a more neutral salad, cilantro (obviously) for a mexican-style dish, or rosemary + thyme for a French-inspired dish. You can also never have too many - I used a a full (smaller) head of cilantro chopped up for the bowl I featured here, and it was PERFECT. 

Allium of Choice. There are SO many to choose from - good old white or yellow onions, red onions, garlic (roasted or fresh), scallion, shallots, or chives just to name a few. I tend to stick to scallion for a more mild oniony flavor and then sneak some garlic into the dressing. 

Rice or Rice Blend. You really can't go wrong here - it's totally a preference thing here. Whole Foods has a great long grain brown rice and wild rice blend that I am partial to, but also will sub in regular white or brown rice / whatever I have on hand. Go wild! 

Seasonal Veggies. This is vague on purpose! The beauty of a rice salad is how many veggies you can incorporate and not have it feel overwhelming. You can use a combination of frozen and fresh veggies (like I did here), or stick to fresh! Also, I would stick to non-wilting veggies if you want to eat this salad throughout the week. I always put carrots, green beans, and peas in my rice salad because they are cheap and available frozen - go wild from there. 

A simple dressing. I love citrusy dressings year round, but especially in the colder months. My favorite combination is equal parts olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and then throw in herbs of choice. Whisk or shake in a salad dressing bottle to combine.

That’s it! SO EASY AND DELICIOUS.

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Here's my recipe for the bowl pictured above: The Original Rice Salad Bowl

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup assorted frozen veggies, steamed and drained of excess water (I used carrots, green beans, peas, beans, and corn from Whole Foods) 

  • 1 raw red pepper, washed and finely diced 

  • 1 small bunch scallions, washed and first three inches of the bottom (white into light green) finely chopped 

  • 1 small bunch parsley, washed + large stems removed, loosely chopped 

  • 1 small can diced black olives, drained 

  • 2 cups prepared rice of choice 

  • Simple salad dressing of choice (see above for instructions on my favorite one!) 

Instructions: 

Dress the prepared rice (should be warm, if using leftovers heat it up before!) with about 1/8 cup of the dressing and stir to combine. Add steamed veggies, red pepper, scallions, parsley, and black olives. Combine until lightly dressed - add more dressing and salt/pepper to taste. In the photo, I topped my salad with Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese rolled in za'atar seasoning, which I HIGHLY recommend it is delicious and a great topper for the salad. Enjoy! 

Annie Muske