By Mark Bittman
- Total Time
- 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of rice
- Rating
- 4(270)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In all of American cooking there is probably no term less meaningful than “salad.” I’m racking my brain for a way to narrow the definition, but the best I can do is a dictionary-like “mixture of food, usually cold or at room temperature, with some kind of dressing.” That’s not saying much, but it opens a world of opportunities, especially when the base ingredient is rice, which offers a far wider variety of flavors and textures than any other grain.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 8 servings
- 1½ to 2cups any rice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice, or more to taste (lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, or a combination)
- 2tablespoons grated citrus zest
- 1tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1cup chopped citrus flesh (or whole segments, if small)
- ½large red or mild white onion, minced
- ½cup chopped fresh mint
- ½cup or more grated Parmesan
- Chopped almonds or pecans, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Cook rice in abundant salted water, as you would pasta, until it’s just done; white rice will take 10 to 15 minutes, brown 30 or a little longer. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, then put in a large bowl.
Step
2
Combine olive oil, citrus juice, zest, sugar or honey, salt and pepper in a blender and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add more citrus juice a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you.
Step
3
Drizzle vinaigrette over rice. Use 2 big forks to combine, fluffing rice and tossing gently to separate grains. Stir in citrus flesh, onion and mint; taste, and adjust the seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan and chopped nuts, at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing salad back to room temperature before serving.
Ratings
4
out of 5
270
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Suzanne
This was very good. I didn't feel the need for the honey, but
the Parmesan is essential. I substituted toasted pine nuts for the chopped nuts; they went well with all the other ingredients.
Olivia Evans
Truly awful. I am a good cook, followed the directions well and used the best ingredients. Disgusting. I am embarrassed that the NY Times published this. It's not the first miss I've experienced from Mr. Bittman, but it was among the worst. I will be more cautious.
susan
I am so glad I tried this recipe! It is really, really good. I kept the ratio of acid to olive equal and wouldn't put in blender again - not worth the extra step, just whisk or shake dressing in a jar. I added a bit of mustard to help emulsify. As suggested in other comments I added some dried cherries and chopped nuts to give a bit more texture and color. It also it great to make ahead - four days later it is still delicious (I made a lot).
Jimbo
The dressing was much more flavourful when I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. V bland otherwise. Delicious with wild rice.
Juliana
Cooked this and attempted to double the recipe...WAYYY too much olive oil and onion. I love both of these things, but they overwhelmed the dish, I'd start with less and add as necessary. Definitely add the chopped nuts for some crunch. I mainly used lemon/orange for my dish, but I assume you could make quiet diverse flavors depending on what you included.
Shelley
I’ve made this twice. The first time it was just too oily. The second time I cut the olive oil in half - used 1/4 cup - and it was just right. I used orange for the zest, juice, and flesh.
Mary No
I made this as a side dish for a picnic dinner at the Hollywood Bowl and someone in the seats next to us was so curious about it. Turns out she uses the NYT cooking app, too, and it was so fun to share the recipe with her. I used cara cara oranges and jasmine rice. Fabulous!
Bonnie Lemons
This was terrific! I didn’t have fresh mint so added the contents of a mint tea bag. Used less onion than called for, but more would have been fine, at least for sweet onion. Used half the oil. Used cotija instead of parm since that’s what I had. Next time I’ll add a little more citrus flesh and try with parm, maybe serve over salad greens.
KWH
A lot to like about it. Although I found it a bit sweet for my taste. Maybe my apples and oranges were sweeter than average? I don't know. But I wanted saltier cheese. Trying to figure out some good ways to balance the sweetness. We added chicken on top for a lovely meal. It's only two of us so I'd for sure half next time. I'm also in love with this way of cooking grains. I have a rice cooker that is good for a lot but for some things, this is a really good way to get flavor in the rice.
Linda G
My family and friends loved this dish. I used orange juice and orange segments. We will definitely serve this again.
Shelley
I’ve made this twice. The first time it was just too oily. The second time I cut the olive oil in half - used 1/4 cup - and it was just right. I used orange for the zest, juice, and flesh.
Jill
This was delicious!!
Mary
Excellent. Used all orange juice with just a bit of lemon juice. Did not use the cheese and did not miss it
Anne Five Stars
Reading the notes I see that the excellent thing about this recipe, as in many salad-y recipes, is that it is only enhanced by personalizations. Loved the citrus dressing and used orange juice and orange flesh, adding extra juice that I already had squeezed from two oranges (1/4 cup?). One red bell pepper. And pecorino romano instead of parmesan, fresh basil instead of mint, 1/2 T coconut sugar. See where I'm going? Use what you have. Forgot the nuts; next time and w/o blender. New fave.
Jimbo
The dressing was much more flavourful when I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. V bland otherwise. Delicious with wild rice.
Heidi
A waste of wonderful ingredients. I used lemon for juice, zest and flesh. Very bitter, no one would eat it. Perhaps oranges would have worked but after throwing out excellent (& expensive) parmesan, almonds etc. I will not try this again. Horrible.
Ania
I love this recipe! I actually prepared it for my small wedding reception. It is so versatile and you can totally play with it. It is great for hot summer days and it keeps really well. I make it with a wild rice mix and then I add mango or peaches... I keep the citrus dressing, though. You can add mint or cilantro or basil... walnuts or almonds or pecans (they taste better toasted!) and you can add or skip parmesan. I served it pork tenderloins and it was a big hit!
Diana
This was very good and refreshing on a warm day. I used spicy pecans for the chopped nuts and it added another flavor note. Like Nana, I had all the ingredients at hand in my kitchen; the onion was a spring red onion, very tasty.
susan
I am so glad I tried this recipe! It is really, really good. I kept the ratio of acid to olive equal and wouldn't put in blender again - not worth the extra step, just whisk or shake dressing in a jar. I added a bit of mustard to help emulsify. As suggested in other comments I added some dried cherries and chopped nuts to give a bit more texture and color. It also it great to make ahead - four days later it is still delicious (I made a lot).
Juliana
Cooked this and attempted to double the recipe...WAYYY too much olive oil and onion. I love both of these things, but they overwhelmed the dish, I'd start with less and add as necessary. Definitely add the chopped nuts for some crunch. I mainly used lemon/orange for my dish, but I assume you could make quiet diverse flavors depending on what you included.
HBN
I felt the Parmesan overwhelmed the other flavors and I didn't even use the full dose. Next time I'll cut it to a sprinkling and no more. Otherwise a nice, easy salad.
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