Whole Grain Rice Salad

By bersbear

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups cooked whole grain rice, heated
• 4 handfuls baby spinach, stems trimmed
• 2/3 cups walnut halves, toasted
• 1 1/2 sweet cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• Fine-grain sea salt
• A few basil leaves
• A bit of goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the hot rice, spinach, and most of the walnuts in a large bowl. Toss until the spinach wilts a bit.

Make the cherry vinaigrette by combining one-third of the cherries, the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon sale and blending until smooth. Add a generous splash of the dressing to the salad.

Tear the remaining cherries in half and stir in most of them into the rice. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Turn the salad out onto a platter and finish with the last of the cherries, walnuts, basil, and goat cheese. Serve immediately.