This vegetable and rice salad is tasty and filling, it is not your standard green salad or pasta salad, it is a sweet pea, onion, tomatoes and green pepper mix in rice. Can be eaten as a meal for lunch or dinner, just add fish or meat if you feel the need.

VEGETABLE AND RICE SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients

2 cups cooked green peas
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped fine
1/2 medium sized sweet green pepper, chopped find
2 cups cooked rice, hot (white, brown or Minute Multi-Grain Medley rice* can be used)
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Hot pepper flakes in small dish to sprinkle over salad (optional)

Directions

Cook rice according to directions and keep hot.

Mix cooked green peas, diced onion, chopped tomatoes and chopped sweet green pepper in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl add olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, chopped flat parsley, salt and pepper. Add mixture to hot rice and allow to cool.

Once rice has cooled, add peas, onion, tomatoes and green pepper. Mix ingredients well then allow chill in refrigerator at least one hour.

Makes about 5 servings.

This salad can be served before one hour, but it is best well chilled.

I recommend Minute® Multi-Grain Medley because it has brown rice, Thai red rice and wild rice plus quinoa, the quinoa makes a world of difference. I am not a fan of minute or instant rice, however, this tasty Minute rice takes a bit longer to cook (ten minutes) still a quick rice, but the colorful mixture has a delightful, somewhat nutty taste. I do not worry about gluten, but I realize some do, the label on Minute Multi-Grain Medley box shows it to be gluten free.

This rice is packaged in four individual pouches, I believe each pouch serves two, however, I often use one package as is or with a side of broiled fish or a turkey burger.

I have been thinking this unusual rice mixture would make a pleasant rice pudding if slightly cooked sour cherries were chopped and added. I will have to think more about this.