A bright and colorful rice salad with roasted chicken or pork, toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, bell pepper, capers and green onions. A simple lemon and olive oil dressing gives the salad a fresh Mediterranean flavor.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 5 minutes, plus time to cook and cool the rice
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup pine nuts
- 6 cups cooked rice, cooled
- 2 cups roasted chicken or pork, cut into ½-inch dice
- ½ cup minced Italian parsley
- 1 small orange or red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 butter lettuce leaves
Instructions:
- Toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, chicken or pork, parsley, bell pepper, green onions, capers, lemon zest and toasted pine nuts. Toss lightly to combine.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, sugar and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the rice mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Place a butter lettuce leaf on each serving plate.
- Spoon a generous mound of rice salad onto each lettuce leaf and serve immediately.
Tip: This salad will be especially good when the cooked rice has cooled completely before it is combined with the other ingredients. Toast the pine nuts carefully—they can go from golden to burned very quickly.
Source: Mom