Fresh, filling, vegetarian, and Mexican!

A tasty lunch recipe on its own, or can be eaten as a side dish.

This vegetarian Mexican salad is from the cookbook Wahaca – Mexican Food at Home by Thomasina Miers. I like this one because it’s really a versatile dish; the rice component means that it’s filling enough to be enjoyed on its own, but the fresh herbs and various vegetables also make it a great accompaniment to other things. I often combine it with some meat (spicy lamb or cajun-style pork fillet) or fish (Thai tuna fishcakes) and salad leaves (lamb’s lettuce, watercress, or spinach work well) for a full packed lunch dish.

Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Servings: 6

Ingredients

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Full Instructions

Cook rice:

1. Add ½ mug of rice & 1 mug of cold water to a pan (it doesn’t matter what size mug as long as the ratio is 1:2, rice:water)
2. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and let it simmer
3. Stir every now & then to make sure it’s not sticking on the bottom but it will take 10–15 mins to cook — it’s done when all the water has absorbed into the rice
4. When it’s done, just remove the pan from the heat and set aside for now

Prepare and soften vegetables:

1. Finely chop 4 shallots/1 onion
2. Finely chop or mince 2 garlic cloves
3. Dice 1 courgette
4. Add 1–2 tbsp of any kind of oil to a large or deep-sided frying pan on a medium heat (use less oil if you have a good, non-stick pan, or more if not)
5. Once it’s hot, add the shallots/onion, garlic, courgette
   *tip* you can add a large handful of frozen sweetcorn at this stage, too; we just never have any in the freezer so I don’t include it
6. Cook them gently so that they take on a little colour and soften nicely (use a lid to keep the moisture in if it starts to brown) – this should take around 10 minutes
7. When it’s all done, transfer everything to a large bowl

Prepare the other ingredients:

1. While the rice and courgette mix are cooking, prepare the other ingredients…
2. Quarter or halve 100–150g small tomatoes or dice 4 plum tomatoes
3. Finely slice 3 spring onions
4. Finely chop 1 chilli (red or green is fine) — de-seed it first if you don’t like things spicy
5. Chop 100–150g feta (I just used up what we had left in the fridge this time, which turned out not to be very much!)
6. Finely chop a large handful of each coriander & mint and a small handful of tarragon

Combine everything:

1. Add the rice into the courgettey, shalloty/oniony, garlicky bowl and mix well
2. Then add all the other prepared ingredients and stir it all up to combine

Make dressing:

1. Whisk together 60ml olive oil; juice 1 lime; pinch sugar; s&p
2. Add half of the dressing to the salad, mix well, and taste
3. Add the other half of the dressing if you want (I do), along with extra salt & pepper if needed
4. And that’s it! Simply cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge until you need it

In the morning:

1. Eat on its own — just decant as much as you need to a small tub and take to work with you
2. Or, eat with something meaty and some green salad (try my Tender Spiced Lamb)

*hot option* just pop the salad in the microwave — it should only take 1 or 2 minutes to heat up, depending on the strength of the machine

Print Pin

Green Rice Salad

Vegetarian, gluten-free, Mexican salad from the cookbook 'Wahaca – Mexican Food at Home' by Thomasina Miers. A tasty lunch recipe on its own, or can be eaten as a side dish alongside my Tender Spiced Lamb and some salad leaves. *From The Hungry Hungry Husband & Wahaca*

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 170kcal

Ingredients

• 120 g basmati rice
• 4 small shallots or 1 red or white onion
• 2 cloves garlic depending on your preference
• 1 large courgette or 2 small
• 150 g tomatoes I like small, vine toms best
• 3 spring onions
• 1 chilli red or green fine
• 1 lime (juice of)
• 100 g feta
• 60 ml olive oil (for the dressing)
• 2 tablespoons oil (for frying) we use groundnut oil but you can use anything really
• pinch caster sugar
• large handful fresh coriander
• large handful fresh mint
• small handful fresh tarragon
• salt & pepper for seasoning

Instructions

Cook rice:

• Add 1 mug of rice & 2 mugs of cold water to a pan (it doesn’t matter what size mug as long as the ratio is 1:2, rice:water)
• Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and let it simmer
• Stir every now & then to make sure it’s not sticking on the bottom but it will take 10–15 mins to cook — it’s done when all the water has absorbed into the rice
• When it’s done, just remove the pan from the heat and set aside for now

Prepare and soften vegetables:

• Finely chop 4 shallots/1 onion
• Finely chop or mince 2/3 garlic cloves
• Dice 1 courgette
• Add 1–2 tbsp of any kind of oil to a large or deep-sided frying pan on a medium heat (use less oil if you have a good, non-stick pan, or more if not)
• Once it’s hot, add the shallots/onion, garlic, courgette
• You can add a large handful of frozen sweetcorn at this stage, too; we just never have any in the freezer so I don’t include it
• Cook them gently so that they take on a little colour and soften nicely (use a lid in a have one as this keep the moisture in) – this should take around 10 minutes
• When it’s all done, transfer everything to a large bowl

While the rice and courgette mix are cooking, prepare the other ingredients:

• Quarter or halve 100–150g small tomatoes or dice 4 plum tomatoes
• Finely slice 3 spring onions
• Finely chop 1 chilli (red or green is fine) — de-seed it first if you don’t like things spicy
• Chop 100–150g feta (I just used up what we had left in the fridge this time, which turned out not to be very much!)
• Finely chop a large handful of each coriander & mint and a small handful of tarragon

Combine everything:

• Add the rice into the courgettey, shalloty/oniony, garlicky bowl and mix well
• Then add all the other prepared ingredients and stir it all up to combine

Make dressing:

• Whisk together 60ml olive oil; juice 1 lime; pinch sugar; s&p
• Add half of the dressing to the salad, mix well, and taste
• Add the other half of the dressing if you want (I do), along with extra salt & pepper if needed
• And that’s it! Simply cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge until you need i

In the morning:

• Eat on its own — just decant as much as you need to a small tub and take to work with you
• Or, eat with something meaty and some green salad (try my Tender Spiced Lamb)

Notes

*hot option* just pop the salad in the microwave — it should only take 1 or 2 minutes to heat up, depending on the strength of the machine

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