Perfectly zesty side salad for those who enjoy bit more substance to their salads. This eats really well with cajun or Mexican flavours as the zingy vinaigrette cuts through spicy marinades wonderfully.
Prep time 15mins
Cook time 20mins, pre-assembly, as the recipe requires cooked rice, and allow 30 mins to cool.
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely diced.
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lime, juiced and zested
1/4 tsp salt
1/4tsp pepper
120g cooked rice
1 red pepper, cored and diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
4tbsp freshly chopped coriander or parsley
Start with the diced onion, by placing it in a bowl and covering with cold water, leave for 10 mins. This will make it taste a little milder.
Now make your salad vinaigrette by mixing together the oil, 1/2 of the lime juice (not the zest) salt and pepper, give it a good mix and have a little taste, you may want to add a little more salt or lime depending on your personal preference. Keep to one side.
Drain your soaked red onion.
In a mixing bowl add the cooked rice, red pepper, spring onions, red onion, coriander or parsley which ever you are using and mix well.
Now finally drizzle over the vinaigrette and mix again.
Sprinkle over the lime zest.
Have a taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you require, for me its not necessary but everyone is different.
I enjoy this salad with my Cajun salmon or Peruvian chicken recipe.
Remember vinaigrettes are quite a personal thing but for me they have to be zingy especially in this recipe because we aren't dressing delicate salad leaves but rice which is more substantial and requires a bit of extra kick.. but if you taste the dressing before you mix it in, if its just to citrusy for you, dilute it with a little more oil.
Always use extra virgin olive oil for salads and dressings, normal olive oil is for cooking.
