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.