Life changing wild rice salad

There are some recipes that are outright winners. They don’t have to try very hard, they’re just naturally gifted, easy and worth getting excited about. This life changing wild rice salad is one of them. It’s the kind of recipe you can make off the top of your head and, once you’ve made it, you will make it again and again. Simple ingredients and exuberant greens that go with just about anything. If you’re at all besotted with grain bowls, as I am, this might be the new house favourite.

Benefits of life changing rice salad:

• Must double as a side or main meal (for vegetarian – add roast sweet potatoes and hummus)
• Excellent alongside grilled fish, chicken and meat
• Thoroughly nutty chew that’s convincingly gratifying
• Heaping, wholesome goodness
• Meal prep potential
• Eat tonight, pack for tomorrow’s lunch
• Greens and grains in one
• Maximises store cupboard ingredients

Top tips for the best rice salads:

• Rinse the grains well before cooking
• Cover with cold water, not hot or boiling
• Check the pack instructions for cooking times, then test about 5-8 minutes before the end of the cooking time. The grains need to be tender but with some bite
• Once cooked, drain under cold water then air dry to ensure the grains absorb the dressing without diluting the flavour
• Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, with either a little extra olive oil, lemon juice, salt or pepper.
• Rice salads should always be served at room temperature, even warm, not fridge cold.

Life changing wild rice salad

Serves 6

• coconut oil, for cooking
• 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 200 g (1 cup) wild rice, well rinsed
• 100 g baby spinach
• 40 g wild rocket
• a generous handful mint, leaves picked
• 4 spring onions (scallions) thinly sliced
• zest of 1 lemon
• 100 g feta, crumbled
• 35 g pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 50 g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
• micro herbs, to finish

Dressing

• 60 ml (4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) lemon juice
• 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) dried oregano
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) honey
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the rice as per pack instructions. (see notes above) Rinse under cold water and drain well. Set aside to air-dry for about 10 minutes.

In the meanwhile, heat 15 ml coconut oil in a wide-based pan. Add the chickpeas and toast over a high heat until crisp and golden. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pile the spinach, rocket and mint onto a board. Chop until all the greens are quite fine.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, chickpeas, chopped spinach and rocket, scallions, lemon zest and feta. Add half the toasted nuts and seeds and a generous handful of micro herbs.

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving plate and finish with the remaining seeds, nuts and  micro herbs.

Recipes that are good with glorious bowl of grains:

Cumin roast sweet potatoes with tahini sauce

White bean hummus with candied tomatoes

Lemon and herb chicken kebabs with sundried tomatoes

Greek chicken kebabs

10 Minute pan fried Greek chicken breasts

More Greens to Grain recipes in my cookbook, Bibby’s Kitchen. It’s available from Exclusive Books, @Home Stores and On-line from Loot.co.za

For international shipping, Uppercase Books will gladly assist.

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