I made it to 23 before trying brown rice. I come from a household of Chicken Tonight, white bread, and salads consisting of some iceberg lettuce and a few slices of tomato. It was at a work Christmas BBQ that I first shovelled a forkful of brown grains into my mouth and marvelled at their nutty chewy texture. I was hooked. This is the salad that hooked me with it’s rather romantic name of ‘Brown Rice Salad.’
This wholesome little beast has it all; it’s tangy, nutty and crunchy with some freshness from the parsley and a little burst of sweetness from the currants. I have made it for just about every BBQ I have attended since as it is a perfect option for vegetarians who need something a bit more substantial.
This is very easy to whip up quickly but best to do a few hours in advance so that the rice can cool before you add the other ingredients.
It certainly ticks all the health boxes too- vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and full of nuts and seeds for protein.
To drink?
Have you heard of umami? It is sometimes described as the savoury flavour we can taste (in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter) and is often in high levels in aged or fermented foods like cheeses or soy sauce. Umami can make some young, crisp wines taste thin and bitter. To overcome this, a wine with some residual sugar pairs well with this salad- something like a moscato or a rosé with a hint of sweetness goes really well and these are also good wines to sip on hot summer afternoons, so it’s win-win.
Are there any really common foods you didn’t taste until you were an adult like my brown rice experience?
If you give this recipe a go I would love to hear about it. Tag your pics with #cccooks 🙂
- 1 cup (190g/6.8 oz) brown rice
- 3 spring onions/shallots
- 1 small red capsicum
- 1/3 (50g/1.8 oz.) cup currants
- 60g/2 oz. raw unsalted cashews
- 2 Tbsp (30g/1oz.) sunflower seeds
- 6 Tbsp soy dressing
- 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup (80mL) oil (I use olive oil)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce (for gluten-free use Tamari)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 clove garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook rice according to pack directions and allow to cool.
- Toast cashews and sunflower seeds on a dry frypan over low heat until lightly toasted and allow to cool.
- Finely chop capsicum and spring onions.
- Finely chop parsley
- Toss all ingredients together with dressing just before serving.
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- The original recipe calls for just 6 Tbsp of dressing- start with this and then add the rest (only about a tablespoon leftover) if you want more flavour.
- I usually prep all the ingredients well in advance so the rice and nuts/seeds can cool then give the dressing a quick whisk before tossing everything together just before serving.
I think I might make this for lunch today! I love brown rice – so yum!! White rice really bloats me but brown rice is a bit better so this is a great option! Thanks for the yummy recipe – I love the sound of the soy dressing.
Thank you Lucy! It is such a good dressing
I find it hard to get excited about brown rice but this looks yarmy.
It’s all about the other stuff with the rice
I love brown rice salads, they’re so nutty and delicious! Thanks for joining the linkup and I love the look of the new blog! xx
Thank you
This looks divine and light for the warm months ahead (today is an exception).
Oh and saved the recipe … looking forward to trying it
Awesome. I just landed in Sydney, it’s glorious here
I grew up with brown rice and other healthy things (which I hated at the time but love now). Although, I did make it to age 20 or so before trying Maccas! No great loss there though I guess.
(my first comment on your new blog :D)
Your salad looks lovely too, it seems like it would be sweet/salty in flavour which is awesome.
I LOVEEE brown rice and first tried it when I was about 18 – I am so giving this salad a go!
Great! let me know when you do x
Me again! Thanks so much for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party! I made this the other day and it was amazing!! Cant wait to see what else ‘Champagne and Chips’ cooks up!
Hooray! Glad you like it 🙂
I’m trying to get the hubster to feel the love for brown rice, but it’s just not happening. I’m hoping that this recipe might just turn him, the dressing sounds delish!
I reckon this dish is a gateway rice dish. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Looks fantastic! Hmmm I didn’t try olives, wholemeal pasta, or mushrooms until I was an adult. And now I love all three 🙂
I hate it when I hear parents say to kids “you won’t like it” when they might if they are allowed to try. I remember staying at a friend’s house when I was about 9 and she was eating olives by the handful but I wouldn’t even try them.
Hi, just wondering if we are meant to include honey to the soy sauce to give it a little bit of a sweeter taste?
Hi Victoria, you certainly can if you like it sweeter. I would just add one teaspoonful at a time and taste it. I prefer not to add too much sweetness in my salads and there is quite a lot of natural sweetness in the currents.