Ingredients Needed and Why

The ingredients here are simple, but carefully combined to make a balanced, interesting salad. These are my notes written during the testing process and that I’ve jotted down just while making the recipe for the past few years, but you can find the full recipe card below.

• Rice: brown rice has a nuttier flavour than white, but white rice takes less time to cook, so use whatever your preference is. Pictured is long grain white rice that was cooked the day before and had been refrigerated.
• Chickpeas: cooked or canned, it doesn’t matter. Either way rinse well before adding to the salad. If using canned, I usually rinse, soak for at least ten minutes in fresh water, and then soak again to improve the taste.
• Onion: a small red onion, very finely chopped, brings sharpness to the salad. It is mellowed by mixing with the dressing but if you’re very sensitive to raw onion you can omit. Shallots can be easier for some people and can be substituted for onion.
• Pomegranate: this adds sweetness, texture, and a big boost of flavour. If you can’t get pomegranate, you could try dried cranberries to add that same sweet-tart combination, but note that the texture will change.
• Parsley: there’s a whole bunch of parsley added to the salad, and it adds a bright, herbal note that shouldn’t be skipped. My personal preference is always for flat-leaf parsley but if you don’t mind the texture of curly parsley go ahead and use that. Fresh coriander (cilantro) would be a fine substitution, but can overpower the other elements.
• Lemon: you’re using the zest and the juice, so look for an unwaxed organic lemon. I get mine from Crowdfarming (affiliate link – if you sign up and order through that link, you’ll get 10€ in credits).
• Mustard: this adds flavour and makes the vinaigrette a little creamier. You won’t really taste mustard specifically. Dijon or bust, and never use yellow hotdog mustard in salad.
• Ginger: a little finely grated fresh ginger brightens the salad even more and adds a slight spiciness. This can be omitted if you don’t like ginger.
• Honey: if you need the salad to be fully vegan, use an alternative like maple syrup in place of the honey.

How to Make Rice Salad

This is a very simple recipe and I know you don’t need to see a picture of chopped parsley. It’s a salad – everything is mixed together in a bowl and served.

Step 1: mix the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl, the same one you’ll make the salad in. Adding the onion now helps to mellow it. Make sure to whisk very well at this step.

Step 2: add the remaining ingredients and mix very well. You want to make sure to pull all of the vinaigrette up from the bottom of the bowl to fully coat the rice, so take a bit longer to mix than you think you might need.

Expert Tips for the Best Salad

• Quickly cool the rice: the best way to cool freshly cooked rice is not to rinse it! Spread onto a baking sheet to get the grains exposed to cool air instead, and it’ll cool more quickly without getting soggy.
• Make sure to season: rice salad tastes best when the rice has been seasoned properly during cooking. If you didn’t add salt, there’s no way to replace it after the fact.
• Don’t over-cook: read the package instructions for the rice, but check the texture a couple of minutes before it should be done. You don’t want the rice to be too soft for this recipe because the vinaigrette soaks into the grains and softens them slightly.
• Make ahead: if you plan to serve for a get-together or just like to prepare in advance, rice salad works well for that. Make the salad up to 24 hours ahead of time and take it out of the refrigerator about half an hour before serving.

More Grain Salad Recipes

Any type of grain salad, whether that’s with rice, quinoa, spelt berries, and so on, makes for a great easy meal. I’m a big believer in cooking a pot of some kind of grain and keeping it chilled to use for quick meals through the week, and these are some of my favourites:

• This quinoa carrot salad is something I make year-round, but particularly during colder months when I don’t have as much energy but still want something nutritious. Raw carrots add a nice crunch and it has a similar bright lemon dressing.
• One of my go-to recipes, my roasted vegetable salad is also an autumn or winter recipe featuring roasted apple, winter squash, and onion, with pomegranate and a roasted garlic vinaigrette. I often make this for guests with allergies or food intolerances too.
• Another zesty recipe, freekeh salad with fresh orange slices and greens inspired by Sicilian orange and onion salad isn’t gluten-free, but freekeh is delicious if you can get it.