BBQ Time: Rainbow Rice Salad!

To some, salads are all leaves and veggies, which is all fine and good. But to me, salads are a collection of things throw together (pizza salad anyone..?). So salad is open to interpretation. As such, I present to you Rainbow Rice Salad. A lovely, fresh, crunchy salad with a zingy balsamic dressing; Fabulous!
I'm not one to lie about my little cheats, so I'll admit I used microwave rice for this. It's great to cut down on time, and it never turns to mush if you're not a great rice cooker! It keeps a lovely crunch, and it's ready to go in 2 minutes! Be sure you allow it to cool before adding it to the salad – you want the veggies to stay fresh and crunchy.
I just love the wholegrain mustard in this too, so I add a touch more than the recipe specifies (which you're welcome to do too of course!). That's a personal taste thing though. This is a lovely, crowd-friendly dish though, full of colour and flavour. I added about half a green chilli to this, but it wasn't a particularly spicy one. Still, a little bit of spicy zing works well in this dish. Add the rocket just before serving so it's not wilted by the time people are eating; there's nothing worse than soggy rocket in a salad! Rainbow Rice Salad
Serves 4
A great, fresh salad for BBQ season!

Prep Time
15 min
Total Time
15 min
For the Salad
500g cooked wholegrain rice
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
4 spring onions (green onions)
One green chilli (add however much suits your taste!)
2 cloves garlic, minced.
A handful of Coriander
A handful of Parsley
A handful of Rocket (Arugula)
A good squeeze of lemon juice
For the Dressing
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey
Instructions
For the salad, dice the peppers, finely slice the spring onions, and finely chop the coriander and parsley.
Add these ingredients to a large bowl with the minced garlic. Season with a little salt & pepper.
Pour in the cooked wholegrain rice, and stir well.
To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.
Just before serving, stir the rocket through the salad, add the dressing, and toss until combined.
Serve alongside a great big BBQ surrounded by friends and family!
By Alice Goodwin

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