Simple Brown Rice Salad with Pesto Dressing
This Easy Brown Rice Salad is crammed with crunchy veggies, tasty herbs and crisply toasted nuts. Drizzled in a punchy pesto dressing.
Servings: 4 or several people as part of a buffet table
Calories: 443kcal
Ingredients
- 175 g uncooked brown rice or 500g cooked brown rice
- ½ red onion
- ½ lemon
- Pinch white sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 bell pepper (orange / red / yellow)
- ½ cucumber
- 150 g cherry tomatoes
- 40 g flaked almonds
- 2 large handfuls fresh parsley
- 1 medium handful fresh dill dill
Pesto Dressing
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ lemon 15-20g juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 80 g pesto
- 50 g extra virgin olive oil 50g
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions (20-25 minutes).
- Whilst the rice is cooking toast the almonds by tipping the almonds in a saucepan so they are in a very shallow even layer. Heat on a low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until just turning golden. Remove the almonds from the pan to cool in a small bowl.
- Prepare the pesto dressing by whisking the Dijon and lemon juice along with some salt and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified and thickened.
- Whisk in the pesto then drizzle in the olive oil whisking all the time until the dressing has come together. Allow to sit and the flavours to mingle whilst you are waiting for the rice to finish cooking.
- Drain the rice once cooked then tip out onto a shallow baking tray to cool whilst you are chopping the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Prepare the red onion by peeling and dicing very small then covering in a small bowl with the juice of half the lemon and a pinch of sugar and salt for 10 minutes.
- Once the rice has been cooling for 10 minutes then tip into a large mixing bowl and toss with the pesto dressing. Allow the rice to absorb the dressing whilst you prepare the rest of the vegetables.
- Dice the celery, pepper and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Then de-seed the cucumber by halving lengthways and scooping out the seeds with a teaspoon. Dice the remaining cucumber. Then finely chop the parsley leaves and dill.
- Drain the red onion from its pickling mixture then mix with the dressed rice, along with the rest of the salad ingredients (save some flaked almonds to top the salad upon serving) and toss together well.
- Cover and store the salad in the fridge until needed.
- When ready to serve transfer to a large salad bowl and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
Notes
- Serves 4 as a lunch or several people as part of a buffet table.
- Rice should not be left out at room temperature for longer than 1-2 hours at the maximum. Make sure to keep chilled during transportation (if you are taking to a picnic or BBQ).
- Dress the brown rice when it’s warm with the dressing alone so the rice has a chance to absorb the pesto flavours for 10 minutes whilst you are preparing the salad vegetables.
- You can use your favourite salad vegetables but to keep the right texture, make sure they are lovely and crunchy.
- Almonds can be swapped for pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- You can serve the salad straightway or allow to chill before serving. When the rice chills it firms up a little more so has a nuttier texture. Both ways it tastes great.
- Taste for seasoning before serving.
- Storing. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1604IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg