This glitzy rice salad is dying to strut its stuff at your subsequent ceremonial dinner, however be warned: it isn’t going to share the highlight.

That is red-carpet rice—completely cooked and studded with pomegranate jewels, flecked with contemporary mint, and dressed to the nines in a stunning dressing made by scorching orange peel, hazelnuts, and garlic in olive oil that you simply’ll pour over inexperienced chiles and heat spices for a bewitchingly fragrant last product.

Zesty, eye-catching, and holiday-ready, this festive rice salad boasts wintry vibes however is definitely customizable to swimsuit any season—that means there’s simply no cause to not make it for each celebratory gathering in your calendar all 12 months lengthy.

Pssst—there’s a better option to cook dinner rice 🤫

After years of rinsing rice until the water ran clear and being meticulous about water:rice ratios but typically nonetheless ending up with stickier-than-intended rice, I’m completed cooking rice the normal method. 

I began cooking rice like pasta for this explicit recipe, and now I’m by no means trying again. 

The advantages: You don’t should be exact in regards to the water measurements and also you don’t have to rinse the rice till the water runs clear (or in any respect). Additionally, the rice is seasoned so it tastes higher. 

The small print: It’s the very same technique of cooking pasta with one distinction: you’ll convey a number of quarts of water to a boil (like pasta ✅), salt the water (like pasta ✅), add the rice, then flip down the warmth to keep up a speedy simmer for about 10 minutes (as an alternative of boiling it like pasta), till you will have fantastically al dente rice with particular person grains intact, no danger of stickiness. 

Benefit from the reward of this absurdly enjoyable rice salad—and the bonus reward of this low-fuss technique for well-seasoned, perfectly-cooked rice.

Ingredient notes

Jasmine rice

I like this aromatic white rice, however you should use any long-grain white rice on this recipe, together with basmati.

And sure, that is superb with rice—but it surely additionally be nice with farro or additional chewy wheat berries.

Substitute: In case you’d somewhat use brown rice, try the primary FAQ for steering!

Hazelnuts

This festive rice salad wanted a ✨glam✨ nut, so I referred to as upon probably the most party-ready nut I do know: hazelnuts. 

Right here they’re toasted in olive oil till golden brown, a course of with two advantages:

1) Toasting nuts = deeper, amplified taste.

2) The hazelnuts subtly infuse the olive oil with their taste as they toast, so once we use this oil within the dressing, it provides a layer of hazelnutty nuance.

Substitute: Pistachios, walnuts, or pine nuts work properly for a distinct taste vibe. We tried this with almonds however discovered them too exhausting/crunchy.

In case you’re utilizing a distinct nut, take note of visible cues to watch the browning of the nuts as an alternative of counting on the hazelnut-specific cook dinner time within the recipe.

Orange

This salad makes use of *each* facet of this star ingredient (besides the bitter white pith). 

The juice is included into the dressing, the flesh is lower into bite-sized items and folded into the salad, however using the peel is the place the magic occurs. The peel will get sliced into skinny matchsticks and toasted within the olive oil alongside the hazelnuts, lending its distinctive floral citrusy high quality to the dressing. 

Aromatics & spices

It’s exhausting to beat a dressing that entails sizzled garlic (see: the dressing for my Napa Cabbage Salad), and this one is additional particular as a result of the garlic sizzles in olive oil with its buddies, hazelnuts and orange peel. 

This flavor-infused oil then will get poured over a mix of contemporary inexperienced chile peppers, floor coriander and cardamom, plus salt and pepper. The spices bloom within the sizzling oil and you find yourself with an fragrant mixture of spice, nuttiness, heat, and sweetness.

Fancy finishers

As soon as the rice is coated within the hazelnut-citrus dressing, it’s completed with a beneficiant handful of contemporary mint, pomegranate seeds, and, optionally, Medjool dates.

The pomegranate seeds add juicy crunch and lovely shade, the mint provides depth with its traditional cooling taste, and Medjool dates add a chewy sweetness. 

Substitute: If pomegranates are usually not in season or unavailable, attempt dried tart cherries or dried cranberries for the same pop of shade however a distinct taste/texture (you’ll possible need to omit the dates on this case).

For extra mix-in substitution concepts, try the Suggestions part!

Step-by-step directions

1. Add the rice to boiling water seasoned with salt, and cook dinner at a speedy simmer for 10 minutes, stirring sometimes, till rice is al dente.

2. Drain and rinse the rice beneath cool water, then unfold on a sheet pan (to return to room temp extra shortly).

3. Peel the orange utilizing a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith. Then, stack the peels and slice into skinny slivers or matchsticks.

4. Take away the white pith from the orange, then slice the flesh into bite-sized items.

5. To a frying pan heated over medium, add the olive oil. As soon as heat, add the chopped hazelnuts and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring sometimes.

6. Add the garlic and stir continuously for 30 seconds.

7. Add the orange peel and stir continuously for 1 extra minute.

8. Pour the combination, together with all of the oil, into a big bowl that accommodates the serrano pepper, spices, salt & pepper. Stir in lemon juice, agave, and reserved orange juice. 

9. Add the room temperature rice, and toss properly to coat the within the dressing.

10. Fold within the orange items, pomegranate seeds, dates (if utilizing), and mint.

Suggestions for making this recipe

Suggestions for prepping the orange peel

If potential, go for a straight peeler (like this) over a Y-shaped peeler because it’s a bit simpler to make use of on an orange.

And don’t put an excessive amount of stress on the orange as you’re peeling it—it will show you how to keep away from the bitter white pith beneath the peel.

When slicing the orange peel, stack a number of peels on high of each other, peeled aspect up, after which slice into skinny strips or matchsticks.

Prepping the orange flesh

Slice the orange in half and take away the white pith—a paring knife is an effective device right here.

Slice the orange into bite-sized items, avoiding the robust white core within the center. And don’t wipe down your juicy chopping board afterwards! Scrape any collected juice right into a bowl to make use of within the salad.

Cooking the rice

Prepare dinner it like pasta, uncovered, besides at a speedy simmer as an alternative of a boil! Don’t overlook to salt the water, because it infuses the rice with taste. 

Prepare dinner simply till al dente—not overly delicate like child meals—then drain and rinse the rice. To convey it all the way down to room temp shortly, unfold it out on a sheet pan (a mini sheet pan works nice).

In case you’re bringing this to a potluck…

You can also make the whole salad forward of time however I like to recommend ready to cut and add the mint till simply earlier than you head to your shindig, as it would blacken over time.

Variations

This salad is festive and versatile, so whether or not you’re lacking some components or simply trying to make it your personal, you’ll find yourself with one thing pleasant.

Ingredient Variations 

• No pomegranate? Strive dried tart cherries or cranberries!
• No dates? Add sweetness with a second navel orange (or Cara Cara orange 😍) or add a handful of dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins.
• Exchange the hazelnuts with pistachios, walnuts, or pine nuts. If nut free, attempt pumpkin seeds—simply toast them as listed within the directions (till golden brown) earlier than including the garlic and orange peel.
• Use half contemporary mint and half flat-leaf parsley or basil.
• Exchange the contemporary inexperienced chile with a teaspoon or two of Aleppo pepper (it would tint the colour of the rice a bit).

Seasonal Variations

The citrus and pomegranate give this rice salad festive winter vibes, however it may well simply be tailored to swimsuit completely different seasons!

For spring or summer season:

• Exchange the pomegranate seeds with sugar snap peas (sliced into skinny slivers) and add sweetness with the Medjool dates and/or some diced nectarines, peaches, plum, or mango.
• Or, exchange the pomegranate seeds with contemporary or grilled corn kernels and the Medjool dates with cubed contemporary mango or peaches.

For autumn:

• Exchange pomegranate seeds with contemporary figs or persimmon, chopped up small.
• Fold in some roasted winter squash cubes.

Incessantly Requested Questions

Did this rice salad dazzle your tastebuds? Let me know by leaving a ranking and a assessment beneath! I get a lot pleasure from studying your feedback 🥰

Massive Vegan Taste

Strategies and 150 recipes to grasp vegan cooking.

Introducing

Massive Vegan Taste

Strategies and 150 recipes to grasp vegan cooking.

• Carry 2 quarts (2 L) of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season with 1 tablespoon (10g) kosher salt. Add the rice and cut back the warmth to a speedy simmer. Prepare dinner, uncovered, at a speedy simmer, stirring sometimes, for 10 minutes, or till the rice is cooked by way of however like al dente pasta, not delicate or mushy.Drain and rinse beneath cool water, then unfold out on a sheet pan to assist it cool sooner to room temperature.

• Prep the orange peel: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the orange into strips, however do not put an excessive amount of stress on the peeler; that method, you keep away from the white pith beneath. Stack a number of peels on high of each other, peel aspect going through up, and slice into very skinny slivers or matchsticks; repeat with all of the peel and put aside.

• Reduce the orange into items: Slice the orange in half and take away the white pith with a paring knife. Reduce across the core, as you’ll an apple, then slice the orange into bite-sized items. Scrape any collected juice in your chopping board right into a bowl to make use of within the salad.

• In a big bowl (sufficiently big to combine the rice with every part), add the serrano, coriander, cardamom, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and a number of other twists of black pepper. Set by the range.

• Warmth a medium frying pan over medium warmth for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the olive oil. As soon as heat, add the chopped hazelnuts and stir sometimes for 3 to 4 minutes, or till golden brown. Add the garlic and stir continuously for 30 seconds, then add the orange peel and proceed stirring for 1 minute, reducing the warmth if the nuts or garlic are browning too shortly.Instantly pour the whole combination into the massive bowl on high of the spices, together with all the oil.

• To the bowl, add in 3 tablespoons (45 mL) lemon juice, the agave, and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) reserved orange juice (for those who didn’t have any reserved juice, squeeze a number of of the orange items to launch their juice into the bowl). Stir properly to mix.

• Fluff the room temperature rice with a fork, then add it into the hazelnut-orange dressing. Toss properly to coat the rice. Fold within the orange items, pomegranate seeds, and dates if utilizing. Chop the mint or tear together with your fingers and add to the salad.

• Season to style with salt and pepper. For extra sweetness, add a bit of extra orange juice you probably have leftover, or extra pomegranate seeds or dates to style.

1. If utilizing one other number of white rice, like Basmati rice, it’d take a bit of bit longer to cook dinner. If utilizing long-grain brown rice, use 2 ½ quarts (2.4 L) water and observe the directions as written, besides cook dinner for 25 minutes till cooked by way of however with a nutty chew. For softer rice, cook dinner for a further 5 minutes.
2. If utilizing sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use a scant 2 teaspoons of salt in step 1 when cooking the rice. If utilizing desk salt, use 1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
3. This provides a refined kick, however for those who’re delicate to warmth, you may omit completely OR scrape out all of the white membranes and seeds contained in the pepper, as many of the warmth lives there.
4. That is about 1 small pomegranate. If pomegranates aren’t in season, you should use dried tart cherries (or dried cranberries).
5. I like the extra sweetness, however for those who don’t prefer it, you may omit the dates. Or for a distinct sort of sweetness, you should buy an additional orange and chop it up into bite-sized items.

Energy: 212.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.9g | Protein: 4.2g | Fats: 10.8g | Saturated Fats: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.68g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3.78g | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 222.7mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 5.24mg | Calcium: 21.4mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.