Mediterranean Rice Salad

Mediterranean Rice Salad - a refreshing rice salad with orange, a pinch of cinnamon, currants, pistachios, and more. Perfectly flavorful and crunchy.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice (or any other long grain rice)
• salt
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt
• pepper
• 4 chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 3/4 cup shelled pistachios or almonds (or a combination of both)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Toast rice: Toast the rice. Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add uncooked rice. Toast until the rice becomes opaque and fragrant (1 to 2 minutes).
2. 2Cook rice. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add rice and 2 teaspoons of salt. Boil, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and tender. Drain the rice and then spread it onto a lined baking sheet to bring to room temperature.
3. 3Whisk dressing: Make dressing. While the rice is cooling, make the dressing. In a small bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice/zest, and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pistachios, currants, and some of the parsley and green onions
4. 4Toss salad. In a large bowl, toss together cooled rice and dressing. Let stand for at least 20 minutes. Season to taste, garnish with remaining parsley and green onions, and serve!