Made with crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs, toasted nuts, and a light lemon vinaigrette, this healthy cucumber herb brown rice salad is a must make. It works as well as a complete meal as it does as the perfect side dish to pair grilled salmon, chicken, and heartier meats.
1/4cupfresh mint leavesor dill (or both), roughly chopped
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For The Lemon Vinaigrette:
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and mustard, if desired, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, close the jar, and shake until well combined. Taste and (Can be made up to 4 days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container and shake before using.)
For The Brown Rice Salad:
Place currants in a small heatproof bowl and just add enough hot water to cover. Let sit aside for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain. Set aside until ready to use. (Can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time.)
Combine the short grain brown rice, almonds, pistachios, cucumbers, and pomegranate arils in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the rice salad and stir to combine. Continue to add dressing as desired. We use all the dressing as it will coat all the ingredients without having any excess dressing pooling up. However, add as much or as little as you'd like. Add the herbs and stir in just before serving.