
Rice Salad
This colourful rice salad gives you different flavours and textures in every mouthful. It really doesn’t take long to make, but you do have to let the rice cool after cooking, and then leave the salad to chill for an hour to allow all the flavours to mingle. Perfect for a picnic or party table.
Serves 8

Difficulty
Easy

Preparation Time
Over 2 hours

Cooking Time
10 to 30 minutes

Bob's Kitchen Recipe Card
Ingredients for 8 Servings
-
125gBasmati rice
-
75gRed rice
-
25gFlaked almonds
-
25gPecans, roughly chopped
-
2 tbspPumpkin seeds
-
100gPodded peas
-
100gPodded broad beans
-
125gCherry tomatoes
-
1Small ridged cucumber
-
12Breakfast radishes, trimmed
-
6Spring onions, trimmed
-
1Large roasted red pepper from a jar, drained
-
½Small bunch mint, roughly chopped
-
1Small bunch dill, roughly chopped
-
1Small bunch flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
-
1Handful wild rocket leaves
-
200gFeta, crumbled (optional)
-
For the Dressing
-
1Large garlic clove, crushed
-
2 tbspPomegranate molasses
-
1 tbspLemon juice
-
4 tbspExtra virgin olive oil
-
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Approximate Times
-
Preparation :Over 2 hours
-
Cooking :10 to 30 minutes
Method
-
Bring two small saucepans of salted water to the boil. Cook the rice in the boiling water according to the packet instructions – usually the basmati rice will take 10–12 minutes and the red rice about 30 minutes. Drain into a sieve and refresh under cold running water; when the rice is completely cold, leave to drain in the sieve in the fridge for 1 hour.
-
Toast the nuts and seeds in a dry frying pan over a low–medium heat for 2 minutes until crisp; leave to cool.
-
Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil and cook the peas and broad beans for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain and cool under cold running water; when cold, drain well.
-
Meanwhile, quarter the cherry tomatoes and tip into a large bowl. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds, cut the cucumber into 1cm/½in cubes and add to the bowl. Finely slice the radishes and spring onions and add to the bowl.
-
Cut the roasted red pepper into 1cm/½in wide strips and add to the bowl with the chopped herbs and rocket leaves.
-
Add the rice, peas, beans and toasted nuts and seeds to the bowl and mix to combine.
-
To make the dressing, in a small bowl combine the crushed garlic with the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. Add the olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad, stir well, cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.
-
Just before serving, sprinkle the crumbled feta, if using, over the salad.
Notes
Pomegranate molasses is used in Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean cooking, usually to add a sweet and sour note to dishes. It is a syrup made by boiling and reducing pomegranate juice.