Orange Mint Rice Salad

Salads Can Be Made from More than Lettuce: Try a Rice Salad!

Alice Henneman, MS, RDN, UNL Extension in Lancaster County

Who says a salad always has to have lettuce? Try this cool and refreshing salad made with rice.

Orange Mint Rice Salad

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe courtesy of USA Rice Federation at www.usarice.com

  • 3 oranges
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and segment two oranges; set aside. Squeeze juice from remaining orange; set aside. In a large bowl, combine rice, orange segments, raisins, mint and walnuts. Add orange juice; toss well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Alice's Notes:

I used brown rice I had made earlier and refrigerated. For more information on making and storing brown rice, see the related articles at the end of this article.

Rather than making a special trip to the store, I used regular dark raisins rather than golden raisins. Though golden raisins give a slightly different flavor, I found them a satisfactory substitution. You might also try adding other types of dried fruit, such as dried cherries or cranberries.

I made 1/3 of this recipe (an amount equal to two servings) and ate the whole thing as a light main dish salad!

Try to make this salad at least a half hour before you serve it, to give the flavors time to blend.