Brown Rice Salad
Submitted by jziler
Brown rice salad tossed with French dressing, water chestnuts, snow peas, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. A crunchy, make-ahead cold rice salad for potlucks and picnics.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis cold brown rice salad is all about crunch and contrast. Toasted rice gets tossed warm with French dressing so the grains soak up that tangy flavor as they cool. Then you fold in water chestnuts, crisp snow peas, raw mushrooms, and strips of red bell pepper for a salad with serious texture.
Toasting the rice before simmering is the step that sets this apart. Five minutes in hot oil deepens the nutty flavor and gives the grains a firmer chew that holds up even after chilling. Mushy rice salad? Not happening here.
Blanching the snow peas for just one minute keeps them bright green and snappy. Any longer and they go limp and lose their signature crunch.
Kitchen Tips
- Dress the rice while it’s still warm. Warm grains absorb dressing; cold grains just sit in it.
- Let the salad chill at least an hour before serving. The flavors meld and the textures settle.
- Taste before serving and add more dressing if the rice has absorbed too much. Brown rice is thirsty.
- This salad travels well and actually improves overnight, making it ideal for potlucks.
Variations
- Add diced cucumber for extra freshness on hot days.
- Swap French dressing for a sesame-ginger vinaigrette to take it in an Asian direction.
- Toss in edamame or chickpeas for a protein boost that turns this into a full meal.
Ingredients
Directions
In a heavy casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat.
Add the rice and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the rice begins to darken; stir often.
Stir in the vegetable stock, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer until the liquid is absorbed; about 1 hour.
When the rice is cooked, toss it while still warm with ¼ cup french dressing.
Let rice mixture cool.
Add the water chestnuts, red pepper, onion, mushrooms and desired seasonings to the rice, then add another ¼ cup of dressing and toss.
Chill 1 hour. Meanwhile, cover the snow peas with boiling water.
Let them stand 1 minute, then drain.
Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
Cut the snow peas into 1” pieces and toss them with ¼ cup dressing with rice mixture.
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