Herby Rice Salad with Blood Oranges

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Before we get too far into today’s recipe, I’m going to kick things off with a disclaimer. If you don’t like dill, you will not like this Herby Rice Salad. It’s hard to get away from the dill. The dill is pervasive. You can, of course, substitute the dill for another herb like chives or cilantro. But at that point, it’s kind of a whole other dish. What I’m trying to say is dill is central to this salad’s personality. So if you have beef with dill, feel free to peruse my extensive salad index instead. There are many alternatives there that are 100% dill-free. You can leave right now, I won’t be offended. Okay, now that it’s just us dill-lovers, let’s dig into this dreamboat of a salad. 

The inspiration for this salad came when I put some leftover dill pistou from my Bangers and Butterbeans recipe on a bowl of leftover rice. I always have leftover rice in the fridge because I am physically incapable of not filling my rice cooker to its absolute limit whenever I turn it on. I fell head over heels in love with the simplicity of the snack. It was far from complex but it was punchy and fresh; both filling and light. 

Now, I couldn’t present you fine people with a bowl of leftover rice covered in a repurposed recipe, so I added a few things to the mix and this Herby Rice Salad is the result. This salad features tender rice tossed in a dill and parsley-heavy lemon vinaigrette accented with chickpeas, crisp pita chips, lightly pickled shallots, sugar snap peas, and juicy blood oranges. It makes the perfect starter, side, or lunch. Trust me on the lunch part, I have tested that theory extensively. Oh, and it keeps well in the fridge and is good hot, cold, or at room temperature. So if you are about that meal-prep life, this salad is a good candidate. 

The first thing we’re going to do is cook our rice. I used basmati rice for this dish because I think it has the best mouthfeel but feel free to use your favorite rice. Just be sure to avoid short-grain rice as it tends to clump. Once the rice is underway, thinly slice a large shallot or two small ones. Place the shallot slices in a bowl and cover them with the juice of two lemons. Set them aside while you prep the rest of the veg. The lemon juice will lightly pickle the shallots and mellow their bite slightly. It will also turn a gorgeous shade of pink. We’re not going to leave them for 15-20 minutes.

Grab a couple of whole wheat pitas and slice them into cubes. Pile them into a bowl and add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Give them a toss to coat. Transfer the pita to a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Pop the pita in the oven and bake until golden and crisp. This should take about 15 minutes. Take the pita chips out of the oven and set them aside to cool. 

Now, let’s move on to the sugar snap peas. I like to slice my snap peas thinly, so they’re roughly the same size as the grains of rice. I find this allows for more even distribution throughout the salad. But if you prefer your sugar snap peas cut a little chunkier, slice them accordingly. You could even add them whole if that speaks to you. And to round out the chopping, grab a few blood oranges and cut them into segments. If you find this too fiddly or beyond your knife skills, feel free to slice them into medallions. I promise they will look just as pretty. 

Okay, now grab a hunk of fresh dill and a fistful of fresh flat-leaf parsley. We’re looking for roughly half a cup of each. Yeah, I really meant it when I said: “herby”. Place the parsley and the dill in a food processor and add two garlic cloves. Strain the lemon juice from the shallots into the food processor and add salt and olive oil. Blitz until the dressing is very smooth. It doesn’t have to be smooth like a puree but it should be pourable. 

Now, let’s put this bad boy together. Place the rice in a large bowl and add the sugar snap peas, a drained can of chickpeas, the pickled shallots, and the pita chips. Pour in the dressing and toss everything together. Taste and add a little extra salt if you need to. Pile the Herby Rice Salad onto a platter and garnish with additional fresh herbs and the blood orange segments and you’re good to go!

And that’s everything you need to know about this Herby Rice Salad with Blood Oranges. Effortless, light, and refreshing, this salad is incredible as a side but is perfectly capable of holding its own as the main event. 

Enjoy!