Name: Rice Salad
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cup whole grain rice (measured raw); 1 can chickpeas ((15 oz) or 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas (drained)); 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes; 1.5 cup cucumber; 1.5 cup yellow bell pepper; 0.5 cup black olives; 0.5 cup canned corn; 1 small shallot; 0.25 cup pickled cucumber; 1 cup fresh herbs (parsley + chives); 0.5 cup vegan feta (crumbled (optional)); 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp lemon juice (+ 0.5 lemon to squeeze on rice); 1 tbsp mustard; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper

Instructions

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1

Boil the whole grain rice (2 cup) in a large pot with water (1 gallon) and salt (1 tbsp). Cook until al dente. Drain, then spread on a clean baking sheet to cool, squeezing juice (0.5 lemon) over it.
2

For the dressing, combine extra virgin olive oil (0.25 cup), lemon juice (2 tbsp), mustard (1 tbsp), maple syrup (1 tbsp), ground cumin (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), and black pepper (0.5 tsp) in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined, or shake in a small jar.
3

In a large bowl, combine the cooled cooked rice, chickpeas (1 can) (drained and rinsed), cherry tomatoes (1.5 cup) (quartered), cucumber (1.5 cup) (diced), yellow bell pepper (1.5 cup) (diced), black olives (0.5 cup) (sliced), canned corn (0.5 cup) (drained), pickled cucumber (0.25 cup) (diced), shallot (1 small) (finely chopped), and fresh herbs (1 cup) (finely chopped).
4

Drizzle the dressing over the rice salad and toss until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
5

For the optional variation, crumble vegan feta (0.5 cup) over the top of the rice salad instead of mixing it in.