VelvetGreek Rice Salad
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Long-grain rice tossed with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives and spring onions in a tangy feta dressing. Blending half the cheese into the oil and vinegar coats each grain, while the rest stays crumbly.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Make the dressing. Put half the feta in the food processor with the oil, vinegar, honey and oregano. Process until smooth, then scrape into the large bowl. Stir in the prepared cucumber, tomatoes, olives and spring onions.
- 2
Boil the rice. Bring the water to a boil in the large pot. Add the rice and 3 tsp fine salt and boil for 12-14 min, until the grains are just tender with no hard centre.
- 3
Drain and cool. Drain the rice thoroughly through the sieve, then spread it in a thin, even layer on the rimmed baking sheet. Leave until completely cool, at least 20 min.
- 4
Toss and serve. Add the cooled rice and remaining feta to the bowl of dressed vegetables and toss gently until evenly mixed. Stir in the pepper and the finishing ¼ tsp salt, taste and adjust in small pinches. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate covered for up to 1 day and bring back to room temperature shortly before serving.
Storage
Refrigerate covered for up to 1 day. Bring only the portion you plan to eat to room temperature shortly before serving. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 3.5 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 97 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
Free sugars: 1.9 g per serving
3.8 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 7.6 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g (WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
Equipment
- kitchen scales
- measuring jug and spoons
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- vegetable peeler
- spoon for removing cucumber seeds
- food processor
- large mixing bowl
- large pot, at least 6 litres
- fine-mesh sieve
- rimmed baking sheet
- spatula or large spoon
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 290 kcal |
| Protein | 5.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 42.6 g |
| of which sugars | 3.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.9 g |
| Fat | 10.5 g |
| of which saturates | 2.9 g |
| Fibre | 1.6 g |
| Salt | 1.16 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
