Herbed Rice Salad with Citrus Dressing

Bowl of herbed rice salad on a table next to a small bowl of pomegranate seeds.

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Herbed Rice Salad with Citrus Dressing

This holiday-ready rice salad is the total package: fun flavor, eye-catching appeal, and textural delight! Featuring al dente rice bedecked with pomegranate jewels and fresh mint and tossed in a toasted-hazelnut-and-sizzled-citrus dressing, this festive dish is a zesty showstopper.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern Inspired

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

For the Rice

1 cup (190g) jasmine rice (see Note 1)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 2)

For the Dressing

1 medium navel orange
½ serrano pepper, finely chopped (or 1 small jalapeño pepper, see Note 3)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (freshly ground or pre-ground)
Freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (75g) hazelnuts, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped (but not too small)
3 tablespoons (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup

For the salad

½ cup (85g) pomegranate seeds (see Note 4)
1 loosely packed cup (16g) fresh mint leaves
4 Medjool dates, finely chopped (optional, for added sweetness; see Note 5)

Instructions

Bring 2 quarts (2 L) of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season with 1 tablespoon (10g) kosher salt. Add the rice and reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a rapid simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through but like al dente pasta, not soft or mushy.
Drain and rinse under cool water, then spread out on a sheet pan to help it cool faster to room temperature.
Prep the orange peel: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the orange into strips, but don't put too much pressure on the peeler; that way, you avoid the white pith underneath. Stack a few peels on top of one another, peel side facing up, and slice into very thin slivers or matchsticks; repeat with all the peel and set aside.
Cut the orange into pieces: Slice the orange in half and remove the white pith with a paring knife. Cut around the core, as you would an apple, then slice the orange into bite-sized pieces. Scrape any accumulated juice on your cutting board into a bowl to use in the salad.
In a large bowl (big enough to mix the rice with everything), add the serrano, coriander, cardamom, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and several twists of black pepper. Set by the stove.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the olive oil. Once warm, add the chopped hazelnuts and stir occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, then add the orange peel and continue stirring for 1 minute, lowering the heat if the nuts or garlic are browning too quickly.
Immediately pour the entire mixture into the large bowl on top of the spices, including all of the oil.
To the bowl, add in 3 tablespoons (45 mL) lemon juice, the agave, and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) reserved orange juice (if you didn’t have any reserved juice, squeeze a few of the orange pieces to release their juice into the bowl). Stir well to combine.
Fluff the room temperature rice with a fork, then add it into the hazelnut-orange dressing. Toss well to coat the rice. Fold in the orange pieces, pomegranate seeds, and dates if using. Chop the mint or tear with your hands and add to the salad.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. For more sweetness, add a little more orange juice if you have leftover, or more pomegranate seeds or dates to taste.

Notes

If using another variety of white rice, like Basmati rice, it might take a little bit longer to cook. If using long-grain brown rice, use 2 ½ quarts (2.4 L) water and follow the instructions as written, except cook for 25 minutes until cooked through but with a nutty bite. For softer rice, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
If using sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use a scant 2 teaspoons of salt in step 1 when cooking the rice. If using table salt, use 1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
This adds a subtle kick, but if you’re sensitive to heat, you can omit entirely OR scrape out all the white membranes and seeds inside the pepper, as most of the heat lives there.
This is about 1 small pomegranate. If pomegranates aren’t in season, you can use dried tart cherries (or dried cranberries).
I like the additional sweetness, but if you don't like it, you can omit the dates. Or for a different type of sweetness, you can buy an extra orange and chop it up into bite-sized pieces.

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