wild rice salad
There is an abundance of fresh herbs, especially in summer. If buying a big bunch and only using a few leaves as a garnish, and letting the rest go to waste, think again! These recipes utilize both the leaves AND the stems (and lots of it!) to make the most of these nutrient-dense, alkalizing, and immunity-boosting small (but mighty) plant foods. Enjoy!
ingredients
1 cup uncooked wild rice*
2½ cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups parsley, finely chopped
2-3 ripe tomatoes, diced into ½" pieces
1 cucumber or a 2-3 "burpless" cucumbers, diced into ½" pieces
method
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Place the rice into a saucepan with water and bring to a boil on high heat.
When boiling, turn the heat down to keep a slow simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring once about midway through cooking. Remove cover. If it's too moist and the grains are already cooked, turn up the heat to evaporate the water. If not cooked yet, place the cover on again and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. When ready, transfer to a large serving bowl and let cool.
In a small bowl, prepare the dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt.
Toss the cooled-down cooked rice, parsley, tomatoes, and cucumber with the dressing and serve at room temperature.
* You can also make this with cooked quinoa, couscous, or any other whole grain.
