Mediterranean Rice Salad
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1 1/2 cup jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp fresh chives or mint
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2-3 cups spinach leaves chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives optional
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling add rice and 1/2 t. salt. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put in large bowl.
- While rice is cooking, make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, chives/mint, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Add the dressing to the rice, mix, and immediately add the spinach and toss. Let this sit until the dish is no longer steaming, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
To make this dish a meal, sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (deveined and shelled, tails on) with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Sauté in a tablespoon of hot oil until shrimp curls and turns pink. You can also use sautéed chicken breasts instead of shrimp.