The delightful, cool flavor and colorful veggies in this hearty salad is enough to brighten any day! Even though we call it a salad, it’s rich enough to be the main course for lunch.
Mediterranean Rice Salad
Yield: 2 quarts
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 8 cups
Calories 198 kcal
Ingredients
COOK rice until tender. (If using an Instant pot, you'll use less water.)
- 1 ½ cups uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
MAKE dressing:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp organic sugar optional
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil (Use more fresh parsley, if you don't have basil.)
PREPARE veggies:
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped in large pieces
- 1 large red pepper chopped
- 1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1/2 cup green onion finely chopped
Instructions
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COOK rice and 1/2 tsp salt in a rice cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stove. Adjust water as needed for your cooking method.
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MIX lemon juice, olive oil, seasonings, and fresh herbs in a measuring cup. This is your salad dressing.
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POUR salad dressing over hot, freshly cooked rice.
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ADD fresh spinach, and gently stir until dressing is well incorporated and spinach begins to wilt from the hot rice.
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REFRIGERATE for about 20 minutes, until it cools down a little bit.
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CHOP pepper, cucumber, and green onion.
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ADD to rice after it has cooled.
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TOSS together and serve warm or cold.
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KEEPS 3-4 days.
Nutrition Facts
Mediterranean Rice Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 198
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 452mg20%
Potassium 188mg5%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 925IU19%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.