As time went on, our salads change into rather more energetic affairs as my mom experimented with assorted greens and greens and so many add-ins, comparable to crisped bacon, grated or chopped cheeses, sesame sticks and nuts. She obtained into making fruit salads within the Seventies. The U.S. pasta salad craze of the Nineteen Eighties looms giant in my reminiscence, too. Eventually, generally the salad was the entire meal.
Merriam-Webster gives this broad definition of salad: “raw greens (such as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressing” and “small pieces of food (such as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing (such as mayonnaise) or set in gelatin.”
One of the issues I really like about that free-spirited interpretation of what a salad might be is that I usually whip up one from what I’ve readily available. It might need greens. It may not. It could be fruit and nuts. It could be served heat or chilly. And, with no boundaries, I’m capable of make salads from no matter is in my pantry and fridge. Leftovers usually discover a second life in salads. A number of straggler olives (and a splash of the brine from the jar), wilting scallions, past-its-prime parsley with stems and usually cabbage, carrots or celery — as a result of their lengthy shelf life.
That’s what appealed to me about this easy salad from “A New Way to Food” by Maggie Battista. In her cookbook, which describes her journey creating a wholesome relationship with meals, she calls the dish Italian-Style Leftover Rice Salad, however I’ve renamed it Rice Salad With Beans, Lemon and Herbs simply to make it slightly clearer from the get-go what’s in it.
Battista makes it with no matter leftover rice she might need. Like her, we regularly have rice with our meals and so there’s often leftover rice lingering within the fridge or freezer. If you have got cooked rice readily available, she notes that this salad comes collectively in about quarter-hour.
It requires combined younger salad greens, and Battista describes it as “immensely satisfying” as a result of these greens, the creamy white beans, and the starchy rice.” She generally provides canned tuna on high, too.
I couldn’t recall ever making a beans-and-rice salad, however now I do know I’ll experiment with concept, including it to my weeknight, leftovers and pantry salad repertoire. Maybe you’ll really feel the identical approach.
Storage: Refrigerate for as much as 2 days.
NOTE: If you don’t have leftover rice and have to make a contemporary batch, the quantity of raw rice you’ll have to yield 1 cup of cooked rice will fluctuate relying on the chosen rice. For 1 cup of cooked long-grain white rice, rinse 1/3 cup of rice till the water runs clear. Then, place it in a small, lidded saucepan over medium-high warmth. Add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and stir to coat the rice. Add 2/3 cup of water, a pinch of salt, if desired, and deliver to a boil. Reduce the warmth to low, cowl and simmer till the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 10 to fifteen minutes.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon) or purple wine vinegar
- 2 handfuls combined younger salad greens
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 medium candy white onion (about 4 ounces), peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (9 1/4 ounces) cooked cannellini beans
- Leaves from 4 sprigs contemporary oregano
- Fine salt, to style
- Freshly floor black pepper, to style
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optionally available)
In a shallow skillet over medium warmth, warmth 1 tablespoon of the oil till shimmering. Add the rice and saute till simply warmed, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the warmth.
Drizzle the lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil alongside the within of a giant salad bowl. Add the greens, scallions, onion, beans and oregano. Add the rice and season to style with salt and pepper.
Using clear palms or a fork and spoon, gently toss all the pieces collectively, coating it with the lemon juice and the oil that’s within the bowl.
Taste, and season with extra salt and/or pepper, if wanted. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Calories: 388; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 163 mg; Carbohydrates: 52 g; Dietary Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 12 g
This evaluation is an estimate primarily based on out there elements and this preparation. It mustn’t substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s recommendation.