Rice Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 30 minutes

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There’s no reason to eat the same rice salad twice. This master recipe offers enough variations to give you the hang of the way ingredients come together in different cuisines, making rice salad an easy way to experiment with traditional or cross-cultural combinations.

The master recipe here will work for virtually any type of rice. Though I make suggestions for the specific variations, ultimately you should use whatever you like and whatever you have handy. Feel free to try other grains here too.

In my opinion, rice salads should never be eaten directly out of the refrigerator — unless, of course, you’re desperately hungry — because the starches in the rice need some time to soften up. But this slight disadvantage also places them among the ultimate make-ahead dishes. If the salad is assembled a few hours in advance, the rice has a chance to soak up flavors, whether in the fridge or out (you usually don’t have to refrigerate if it’s going to be only a couple of hours). Before serving, just pull the salad out and leave it covered on the counter for a half-hour or so to take the chill off.

• 3–4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cooled a bit but not ice cold
• ½ cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ¼–½ cup Vinaigrette (page 628), made with olive oil and sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• ½ cup chopped scallions
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

1. Put the rice, bell pepper, celery, and carrot in a large bowl. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette and use two big forks to combine, fluffing the rice and tossing gently to separate the grains.
2. Stir in the scallions and parsley, taste, season with salt and pepper, and moisten with a little more dressing if needed. Serve at room temperature. Or cover and refrigerate for up to a day, bringing the salad back to room temperature before serving.

Rice Salad, Japanese Style Use short-grain brown or white rice. Grate the bell pepper, celery, and carrot or pulse them in a food processor with the metal blade. For the vinaigrette use Simple Miso Dipping Sauce (page 653). Add 2 cups cubed firm tofu (preferably baked, see page 485). Instead of the parsley, crumble 2 sheets toasted nori (see page 244) over the salad and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds.

Rice Salad, Indian Style Use brown or white basmati rice. When making the vinaigrette, use rice vinegar, replace the oil with coconut milk, and add 1 tablespoon Fragrant Curry Powder (page 649), or more to taste. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, add ½ cup each cubed cooked potato, cooked cauliflower florets, and green peas (cooked frozen are fine). Substitute cilantro for the parsley and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, if you like.

Citrus Rice Salad Use any rice. For the vinaigrette use citrus juice; choose from lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, or a combination. Whatever you choose, add 2 tablespoons of the grated zest and 1 tablespoon sugar or honey to the blender when making the vinaigrette. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, use 2 cups chopped peeled citrus fruit; substitute red onion for the scallions and mint for the parsley. A handful of chopped almonds or pecans makes a nice addition. O

Tomato Rice Salad Use any kind of long-grain brown or white rice. When making the vinaigrette, omit the vinegar and add 1 chopped tomato to the blender. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, add 2 cups chopped fresh tomato. Substitute 1 teaspoon minced garlic for the scallions. Try chopped basil, chives, chervil, or dill instead of parsley. Small cubes of fresh mozzarella — use as much as you’d like — make this a meal.