Red rice salad with grilled onions
Vibrant, nourishing and perfect for sharing, Marcus Wareing’s hearty rice salad comes topped with crispy kale, quick-pickled onions and cottage cheese.
Ingredients
For the marinated onions
- 3 red onions, unpeeled and chopped into wedges with root intact
- 75ml/5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve
For the salad
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú kale, chopped into large pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 200g/7oz red rice, cooked following pack instructions
- 1 pomegranate, seeds only
- 200g/7oz cottage cheese
- handful pistachios, shelled
- sea salt
Method
Put the onion wedges into a bowl, add 2 tbsp olive oil and toss together with salt and pepper. Put directly onto the barbecue grill or a griddle pan to char for 8–10 minutes until softened.
Remove from the grill and transfer to a roasting tin. Pour the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sherry vinegar on top, then season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cover with kitchen foil and place back on the grill to marinate over the heat for a few more minutes (alternatively cook in the oven at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4).
Meanwhile, put the kale in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Place on the grill and cook until lightly charred on both sides (alternatively roast in the oven at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 for 6–8 minutes until the kale is crispy). Remove from the heat, season with a generous sprinkling of sea salt and set aside.
Once the onions are cooked, drain off the marinade into a bowl – this will serve as a dressing (you can add more oil and vinegar, if you like).
Combine the spring onions and rice in a bowl. To serve, arrange the rice on a serving plate and top with the crispy kale and onions. Add the pomegranate seeds, a few dollops of cottage cheese and a scattering of pistachio nuts. Drizzle over the dressing and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon.
Recipe Tips
This recipe can be cooked on the barbecue, or in the oven.
