This beautiful salad tastes as good as it looks. You’ve got the sweetness of honey and mango, the zing of rice wine vinegar, and the bitterness of endive, along with the classic combo of zesty lime and creamy coconut. I like to make this dish at home or present it at summer potluck cookouts.
Black rice is excellent in salads because it holds up well when you dress it (or overdress it, as we like to do at my house), and it has a nice bite.
And did I mention how pretty it looks?
Adapted from THE SIMPLE ART OF RICE: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table by JJ JOHNSON AND DANICA NOVGORODOFF. Published by Flatiron. Copyright (c) 2023. Reprinted by permission. Metric conversions supplied by The Cook’s Cook.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- •180 grams (1 cup) Forbidden rice or black pearl rice, rinsed
- •4 Belgian endives (preferably 2 red and 2 green), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
- •4 scallions, thinly sliced
- •About 1.5 liters (1ó cups) grape tomatoes, halved
- •1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
- •150 grams (1 cup) roasted cashews
- •2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil or other basil
- •1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- •2 tablespoons kosher salt {preferably Diamond Crystal)
- •Freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
- •1.4 liters (ó cups) full-fat canned coconut milk
- •1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- •1½ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- •1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- •1 tablespoon honey
- •Kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal) to taste
- •Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
For the salad: Combine the rice and 473 ml (2 cups) water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, 25 to 30 minutes. Spread the rice out on a sheet pan and set in the refrigerator to cool. While the rice cools, make the dressing.
For the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, vinegar, ginger, and honey and whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
When the rice has cooled, add the endive, scallions, tomatoes, mango, and cashews to the bowl and toss gently to combine. Add the basil, orange zest, salt, and pepper to taste and toss again to mix well. Gradually add the dressing, tossing gently but thoroughly to coat the ingredients; you may not need all the dressing. Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary. Serve.