Oriental Brown Rice Salad

A cold brown rice salad dressed with peanut oil, roasted sesame oil, and rice vinegar. It’s nutty, slightly sweet, and loaded with barely-blanched vegetables that stay crisp and colorful against the chewy rice.

The dressing goes on the rice first, while it’s still at room temperature. Peanut oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and sesame oil get stirred together until the sugar dissolves, then tossed through the rice so every grain is coated before the vegetables go in. That base of sesame and peanut oil gives the whole salad its distinctive Asian flavor.

The vegetables get just a one-minute steam, then an immediate cold water rinse to stop the cooking. This blanch-and-shock technique keeps the snow peas, carrots, and corn bright and snappy instead of soft and dull. Red bell pepper, celery, scallions, and parsley go in raw for extra crunch.

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. The rice absorbs the dressing and the flavors meld into something much more cohesive than when first assembled.

Pro Tips

• Use day-old cooked brown rice if you have it. Freshly cooked rice is sticky and clumps. Chilled rice separates into individual grains that absorb dressing better.
• Roasted sesame oil is intensely flavored. A teaspoon is enough. More than that and it overwhelms everything else.
• Toss the salad again right before serving. The dressing settles to the bottom during chilling.

Variations

• Add edamame or diced tofu for protein to make this a main course salad.
• Toss in toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts for extra crunch.
• Stir in a splash of soy sauce or tamari for a saltier, more savory profile.