½ cup chopped fresh herbs - tarragon, mint, parsley
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
Orange-Tarragon Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Takes ,
serves 6.
Instructions
Cook the rice: Bring two small pots of salted water to a boil. Add the basmati rice into one and the long-grain wild rice to the other. Follow the packet instructions to cook the grains al dente.
Cool the rice: Once cooked, drain the rice in a sieve and spread it out on a tray to help it cool down quickly.
Prepare dressing: Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small storage jar (250 ml). Add the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Assemble salad: Transfer cooled rices to a large bowl. Add the zucchini, red pepper, green onions, chopped fresh herbs and feta cheese. Add about ¾ of the quantity of dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more dressing to taste.
Serve or store dressed in an airtight container.
Easy Rice Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup long-grain wild rice
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
3 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped fresh herbs - tarragon, mint, parsley
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
Orange-Tarragon Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cook the rice: Bring two small pots of salted water to a boil. Add the basmati rice into one and the long-grain wild rice to the other. Follow the packet instructions to cook the grains al dente.
Cool the rice: Once cooked, drain the rice in a sieve and spread it out on a tray to help it cool down quickly.
Prepare dressing: Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small storage jar (250 ml). Add the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Assemble salad: Transfer cooled rices to a large bowl. Add the zucchini, red pepper, green onions, chopped fresh herbs and feta cheese. Add about ¾ of the quantity of dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more dressing to taste.
Serve or store dressed in an airtight container.
Easy Rice Salad
5 / 5. 1
A mix of basmati and wild rice with fresh veggies, feta cheese, fresh herbs and an orange-tarragon dressing…
Rice is nice, as we always say, and this EASY RICE SALAD recipe proves it!
We’re posting this homemade wild rice salad idea in response to requests for an easy-to-make salad that pairs well with different main courses and can travel well too. That may sound like a tall order, but fear not, it’s simple to prepare. Here’s why this EASY RICE SALAD deserves to be added to your “make again” salad list:
Preparing it is easy – cook the rice, chop up fresh veggies and herbs, then just shake up a simple flavourful dressing.
The salad welcomes interpretation. Make it your own by selecting favourite vegetables and fresh herbs.
The “wow” factor is achieved by adding a hint of orange and fresh tarragon to the dressing, giving the salad a very fresh pop of flavour.
This rice dish can be served with virtually all poultry, pork, beef, fish and seafood mains, as well as any vegetarian meal.
It’s a cold rice salad recipe, so it can be made in advance and travels well. Take it to family dinners, get-togethers with friends, potlucks and picnics.
Here are a few more tips on preparing this EASY RICE SALAD:
INGREDIENTS
Thankfully, making this rice salad doesn’t require unusual or hard-to-find ingredients. Instead, just add basmati and long-grain wild rice to your shopping list along with feta cheese, a red pepper, zucchini and fresh herbs, if you’re not already growing some in your garden.
TWO TYPES OF RICE
Let’s circle back to why we crafted this recipe using two different types of rice. Not only does it add flavour and make the dish more visually appealing, it also highlights some surprising nutritional and health benefits.
First the basmati. Basmati rice is a healthy choice that’s low on the glycemic index, low in sodium and high in fibre compared to other rice varieties such as white rice, brown rice or jasmine-scented. It has a nutty flavour, stays firm when cooked and has a pleasingly chewy texture. It also contains vitamins B1, B6, folate, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous.
The second rice, a long-grain wild rice that’s sometimes referred to as “lake rice”, is actually an aquatic grass. Processing the grains takes time, from harvesting to treating with heat and stripping away the husks. The uniform brown and black kernels have a pronounced nutty, almost grassy, flavour and provide a healthy mix of protein and fibre. Long-grain rice contains vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It contains more protein and fewer calories than regular rice and other grains. Pro tip: make sure to follow our directions and spread the cooked grains out on a baking sheet to cool. This will keep the grains separate and prevent your salad from clumping.
FRESH VEGETABLES
Let’s hear it for zucchini, red bell pepper and fresh green onions! Sure, they give the salad lots of flavour, but they also add pops of colour throughout, adding to its visual appeal. Feel free to recreate the salad using other favourite veggies too like diced asparagus, green peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots, snap peas, chopped broccoli, olives, cucumber, diced sweet potatoes and red onion. All work perfectly with delicious results. Worth mentioning, this salad welcomes fruit and nuts too. Feel free to sprinkle the dish with chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, cranberries, raisins, pomegranate seeds and diced stone fruit too.
FRESH HERBS
Adding freshly chopped herbs into a salad is a great idea, whether a tossed green salad, pasta salad or a rice salad such as this. Fresh herbs contribute both flavour and enticing aroma. Although we added freshly chopped parsley, mint and tarragon into this EASY RICE SALAD, feel free to experiment with other herbs like fresh dill, marjoram, chives, fresh basil, cilantro, sage and rosemary.
ORANGE AND TARRAGON
One of the hallmarks of this rice dish is our use of fresh tarragon with orange juice and orange zest. Orange juice is more palatable than the standard lemon juice in this application. The tarragon adds a distinct taste of licorice or anise, and we use it as we would fennel in salads or to flavour a classic BÉARNAISE SAUCE. Adding orange to it creates a bright, lightly floral flavouring. This in turn yields a rice salad that pairs well with delicate fish, chicken, pasta, and vegetables such as asparagus or green beans.
SALAD DRESSING
We certainly didn’t re-invent the wheel when it came to dressing this salad. Instead, we combined extra virgin olive oil with the orange juice, zest, chopped tarragon, kosher salt and black pepper. We portioned everything into a storage jar, sealed it up, gave it a shake and dressed the salad as directed. Easy! One thing to note: feel free to add a tiny bit of honey or maple syrup if you like your dressing with a hint of sweetness.
LARGE SALAD BOWL
Yes, you can serve this salad right from the large bowl that you toss it up in. I ended up transferring it into a smaller serving bowl simply as a point of reference for everyone who follows our suggestion to take the salad for a potluck. If travelling with it, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator until you go. When the meal is served, just fluff it up to serve in a smaller serving bowl. Add a sprinkle of black pepper and chopped herbs as a garnish. P.S.: Leftovers taste amazing the next day.
This wonderful side dish and salad idea is so tasty, that we suggest you PIN it to a favourite idea board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make it too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious dishes you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!
Try this EASY RICE SALAD recipe that’s excellent with everything!
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Ingredients
For the salad:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup long-grain wild rice
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
3 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped fresh herbs - tarragon, mint, parsley
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
Orange-Tarragon Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cook the rice: Bring two small pots of salted water to a boil. Add the basmati rice into one and the long-grain wild rice to the other. Follow the packet instructions to cook the grains al dente.
Cool the rice: Once cooked, drain the rice in a sieve and spread it out on a tray to help it cool down quickly.
Prepare dressing: Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small storage jar (250 ml). Add the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Assemble salad: Transfer cooled rices to a large bowl. Add the zucchini, red pepper, green onions, chopped fresh herbs and feta cheese. Add about ¾ of the quantity of dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more dressing to taste.
