VEGAN

RED RICE ROMESCO SALAD

1½ cups water

1 cup long-grain red rice, preferably red Himalayan or red Cargo rice

¹⁄₃ cup hazelnuts

2 tomatoes

1 large fennel bulb

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 jarred roasted red peppers or pimientos, chopped

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Combine the water and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the residual moisture in the grains after storage. Set aside, covered, to steam for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast them until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Pour the nuts into a clean kitchen towel and wrap it around them. Set aside for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle, then rub the hazelnuts together in the towel to remove most of their papery skins by grating them against each other and the towel. Pick the hazelnuts out of the towel, then coarsely chop the nuts.

3. Also while the rice cooks, halve the tomatoes through their stem ends. Remove the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulb, as well as any tough bottom and/or browned, squishy bits. Slice the bulb lengthwise into ½-inch slabs. Rub the cut side of the tomatoes and fennel with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare a grill for high-heat cooking. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, and the fennel slices on the pan or grill grate. Grill for 6 minutes. Turn everything and continue grilling until soft and marked, about 6 more minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board.

5. Chop the grilled tomatoes and fennel and place in a large bowl. Add the hazelnuts, roasted peppers, vinegar, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir it in.

SERVES 4

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Make ahead: Immediately after preparing, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Save time: Use 3½ cups cooked red rice and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.

MAKE IT EASIER!

• Skip step 3 by looking for roasted, skinned hazelnuts among the dried fruit and other nuts at your supermarket. Chop these into small bits before adding them to the salad.
• You needn’t buy a jar of roasted red peppers. They’re available at the salad bar, olive bar, or antipasto bar of many supermarkets.

TESTERS’ NOTE

• The flavors here are not strictly romesco, a Catalan concoction. Traditionally, romesco uses fennel fronds; but we deconstructed the sauce to create a salad—and used the fennel bulb for crunch and zip against the sweet rice.