Full of seeds and toasted almonds, the components for this rice with salsa verde can be made ahead. It's versatile and a perfect rice dish for a light lunch, a buffet table, or to take to work.
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This is an easy rice dish with that fantastic condiment that is salsa verde. A green basmati rice to liven up your rice recipes.
That psychedelic green color comes from the turmeric that I cook my rice in. It pops, doesn't it? And adds another layer of flavor.
The salsa is amazing on its own and lasts quite a while in the fridge, but combined with the basmati rice, it's heavenly. Pretty similar to what happens when you eat it with pork chops and potatoes.
It makes a fantastic light lunch or addition to a simple buffet like the Moroccan couscous salad.
Basmati rice
It's fragrant, long-grain rice used a lot in Asian and Indian cuisines.
It has a unique flavor, different from regular rice, more like jasmine rice (one of my favorites of all time). You can buy white and brown basmati rice.
Basmati rice is versatile, hard to mess with, and compatible with all those Middle Eastern and spicy dishes we all love.
Salsa verde
Verde means green in Spanish, and there are as many recipes called salsa verde as there are different hues of color.
Today's recipe is my favorite and it comes together in no time.
A few green ingredients, olive oil, and you got yourself a yummy salsa verde that can be used in other grain salads, for pasta, and with meat, especially cold chicken.
I use an immersion blender because I don't make a large amount, and the big blender is a pain to wash and too much trouble to take all of the mixture from the bottom of the bowl.
Adding crunch
Finish this rice salad with a layer of crunchiness that takes it up several notches.
- Sliced almonds: add a crunch unlike any other nut in my opinion. But use chopped almonds if that's all you have or even pecans.
- Turmeric: I put it directly into the rice water at the beginning, but it stained my white colander (I know!), so now I add it after the rice is done. Or to the salsa verde. You can omit it.
- Seeds: lightly toasted sesame and sunflower seeds add a fantastic flavor.
The main idea here is the basmati rice together with the salsa. Together they are dynamite. A great addition to your next spring lunch or anywhere a little color and flavor is welcome.
Make-ahead
- Cook the rice, drain and keep covered in the refrigerator until needed.
- The same goes for the salsa verde. Put it in a glass jar and add a thin layer of oil on top before closing to keep it vibrant for a longer time.
I keep the cooked rice, the salsa, and the garnishes separated and put them together at the last minute. It is fresher and crunchier that way.
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Basmati Rice with Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- Keep in mind that the quantities are not exact. That's why I talk about bunch and medium-sized. Adapt to your personal taste.
For the salsa:
- 1 bunch arugula, clean and dry
- 1 medium green onion
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 4-5 green olives, pitted
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus a few extra tablespoons
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the rice:
- 2 cups uncooked basmati rice
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
For the salsa:
- In a processor put 1 bunch arugula, coarsely chopped, 1 medium green onion (only white and light green parts), ½ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, ½ cup fresh basil leaves, 4-5 green olives, and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil and start to process. Add more oil if it's dry until you have a creamy salsa. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Keep covered in a jar in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on top.
For the rice:
- Cook 2 cups uncooked basmati rice according to the package directions, in salted water. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, drizzle with some olive oil, mix and let cool.
- Mix with salsa verde to taste.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh parsley and a few grindings of black pepper, or to taste.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Such a pretty and flavourful rice!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Angie!
anne baxter says
Looks delicious and I’m looking forward to making it for my Easter brunch!
David says
What a beautiful dish - both for the eyes and the palate! Ready to make this soon as we actually have all the ingredients - either in the fridge or in the garden! (So grateful that Mark likes to grow herbs!)
Paula Montenegro says
Yes, so grateful! I wish I had a herb garden. But then again, I'm not much of a plant person so it would probably not work much, haha!