As soon as winter turns its sorry, frigid back, the local cafés start putting insalata di riso on their lunch menu. It’s usually the first thing that sells out. It’s easy to see why: versatile, colourful, delicious. Quick to make in massive batches, then watch as it gets gobbled up.
You’ve got to make it well though, in my opinion. I’ve eaten a few frights where the rice has been too hard and the amount of non-rice ingredients too stingy, or simply too boring. There is a ‘classic’ Italian version (isn’t there always), but I think this is one of those dishes where you can flex a little creativity. Anything goes as long as you have colour, a little crunch, a few different textures, and a good balance of salty, sweet and acidic.
Some ideas include:
colour - sweetcorn, peas, beetroot, avocado, bell peppers, carrots, asparagus
crunch - sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds. raw vegetables.
saltiness - olives, capers, cheese
sweetness - sweetcorn, beetroot, peas
acidity/tang/pungency - gherkins, sundried tomatoes, spring onions, olives, preserved lemon, chives
non-veg additions - tuna, cooked ham, crispy pancetta, shredded roast chicken, prawns
That said, there are a few ‘rules’:
1. For safety reasons, be sure to cool the rice quickly and thoroughly, and store the salad in the fridge
2. A 50-50 ratio for rice to non-rice is good, to avoid the salad being too stodgy
3. Avoid ‘wet’ ingredients like fresh tomatoes, to avoid the salad going soggy
4. All the non-rice ingredients must be chopped into cubes or sliced very thinly.
Other than that, go mad! My version is certainly 'imaginative' by Italian standards...
Some ideas include:
colour - sweetcorn, peas, beetroot, avocado, bell peppers, carrots, asparagus
crunch - sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds. raw vegetables.
saltiness - olives, capers, cheese
sweetness - sweetcorn, beetroot, peas
acidity/tang/pungency - gherkins, sundried tomatoes, spring onions, olives, preserved lemon, chives
non-veg additions - tuna, cooked ham, crispy pancetta, shredded roast chicken, prawns
That said, there are a few ‘rules’:
1. For safety reasons, be sure to cool the rice quickly and thoroughly, and store the salad in the fridge
2. A 50-50 ratio for rice to non-rice is good, to avoid the salad being too stodgy
3. Avoid ‘wet’ ingredients like fresh tomatoes, to avoid the salad going soggy
4. All the non-rice ingredients must be chopped into cubes or sliced very thinly.
Other than that, go mad! My version is certainly 'imaginative' by Italian standards...
Italian-style Insalata di Riso (Rice Salad)
Serves: 4
Pots/pans to be washed up afterwards: 1, plus a baking tray and a salad bowl
Prep time: 10-20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
300 g rice (short or long grain, but not too sticky)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 beetroot, cubed
a few gherkins, cubed
1 tin of sweetcorn
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
handful of sundried tomatoes, chopped
150 g firm cheese, cubed (emmentaler, provolone, cheddar)
avocado, cubed
handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped (parsley, oregano, dill, marjoram)
pumpkin seeds, toasted
olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
Boil the rice until al dente, then spread immediately in an oven dish or baking tray to help it to cool down quickly.
Serves: 4
Pots/pans to be washed up afterwards: 1, plus a baking tray and a salad bowl
Prep time: 10-20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
300 g rice (short or long grain, but not too sticky)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 beetroot, cubed
a few gherkins, cubed
1 tin of sweetcorn
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
handful of sundried tomatoes, chopped
150 g firm cheese, cubed (emmentaler, provolone, cheddar)
avocado, cubed
handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped (parsley, oregano, dill, marjoram)
pumpkin seeds, toasted
olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
Boil the rice until al dente, then spread immediately in an oven dish or baking tray to help it to cool down quickly.
While the rice is cooking and then cooling, chop all your other ingredients and put them together in a bowl. Treat them as a salad that needs to be balanced and well-dressed: check for colour and taste for crunch, add a little olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.
When you’re happy with the salad and the rice has cooled, combine everything well.
Serve at room temperature with the avocado and pumpkin seeds sprinkled over the top. Great with a glass of white wine at a BBQ…
Serve at room temperature with the avocado and pumpkin seeds sprinkled over the top. Great with a glass of white wine at a BBQ…
