Mediterranean Rice Salad

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest’s friend Bubba gives a seemingly never-ending list of all the ways shrimp can be prepared – “you can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it,” and the list continues. We don’t have room for that many preparations, but we think you’ll like the ones submitted.

Rice makes a nice accompaniment to shrimp and is often found in shrimp recipes. The Cahokia Rice mentioned in some of the rice recipes is grown in southern Illinois and is high in protein. Be sure to read the feature to learn more about it.

Mediterranean Rice Salad

Courtesy of Cakokia Rice
Course Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1-1/2 cups Cahokia High Protein white rice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups chopped spinach leaves
  • 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 1 small cucumber peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Green onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives chopped
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, bring 2-1/2 cups water to boil.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and rice. Turn heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Uncover and fluff with fork.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, pepper flakes and remaining teaspoon of salt.
  • Add rice to dressing and toss mixture to combine.
  • Add spinach, toss and let sit until it is no longer steaming.
  • Add remaining ingredients and toss again. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Notes

Nutrition information: 155 calories; 9.1g fat; 387mg sodium; 15.6g carbohydrates; 5.9g protein.