Brown Rice and Chickpea Salad
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2 hours, plus 8 hours soaking and 1 hour cooling
Yield
Serves 4 as a light main course
Ingredients
Basic Brown Rice
6 cups water 1 cup brown rice, preferably long grain or basmati2 teaspoons olive oil or butter1 teaspoon table saltCooked Chickpeas
⅔ cup dried chickpeas, soaked at least 8 hours and drained2 medium cloves garlic, peeled1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon table saltBasil-Curry Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil 1 large lemon, juiced to yield 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar ½ teaspoon curry powder 1 ½ teaspoons honey 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaf Table salt to tasteAdditional Vegetables
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced small¼ cup sliced almonds, lightly toastedBefore You Begin
Use this recipe as a guide for making brown rice slads with any ingredients on hand. Combine 3 cups cooked brown rice with a mixture of 3 cups other main ingredients that have been chopped and cooked if necessary, such as vegetables, legumes, seafood or chicken. About 1/4 to 1/2 cup dressing is enough to coat 6 cups of rice salad.
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in large pot. Stir in rice, oil or butter and salt. simmer briskly, uncovered, until rice is almost tender, about 30 minutes.
- Drain rice into a steamer basket that fits inside the pot. Fill pot with about 1 inch water and return to heat. Place basket of rice in pot; cover and steam until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Scoop rice into a bowl and fluff gently with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
- Bring 1 quart water, chickpeas, garlic and bay leaf to boil in a large saucepan; simmer until chicpeas are tender, about 45 minutes, adding the salt after 30 minutes of cooking. Drain, discarding garlic and bay leaf, and cool to room temperature
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together.
- Mix chickpeas with rice, bell pepper, and almonds in a medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad ingredients to combine. Refrigerate for up to four hours before serving or serve immediately.
for the rice
for the chickpeas
for the dressing
Time
2 hours, plus 8 hours soaking and 1 hour coolingYield
Serves 4 as a light main courseIngredients
Basic Brown Rice
Cooked Chickpeas
Basil-Curry Dressing
Additional Vegetables
Ingredients
Basic Brown Rice
Cooked Chickpeas
Basil-Curry Dressing
Additional Vegetables
Ingredients
Basic Brown Rice
Cooked Chickpeas
Basil-Curry Dressing
Additional Vegetables
Why This Recipe Works
Looking to cut cooking time in our brown rice recipe and still end up with superior rice—without using a rice cooker—we tried boiling, steaming, microwaving, baking, and the traditional stovetop method. We found that steaming yielded good results but was problematic because the rice took a long time to cook and there was the danger of the pot running dry. We decided to do most of the cooking in boiling water but to finish the rice in the steamer. Boiling the rice for our brown rice recipe until it is almost tender (about 30 minutes), draining it, then steaming it until done (another five to 10 minutes) is by far the best stovetop method for brown rice.
Before You Begin
Use this recipe as a guide for making brown rice slads with any ingredients on hand. Combine 3 cups cooked brown rice with a mixture of 3 cups other main ingredients that have been chopped and cooked if necessary, such as vegetables, legumes, seafood or chicken. About 1/4 to 1/2 cup dressing is enough to coat 6 cups of rice salad.
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in large pot. Stir in rice, oil or butter and salt. simmer briskly, uncovered, until rice is almost tender, about 30 minutes.
- Drain rice into a steamer basket that fits inside the pot. Fill pot with about 1 inch water and return to heat. Place basket of rice in pot; cover and steam until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Scoop rice into a bowl and fluff gently with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
- Bring 1 quart water, chickpeas, garlic and bay leaf to boil in a large saucepan; simmer until chicpeas are tender, about 45 minutes, adding the salt after 30 minutes of cooking. Drain, discarding garlic and bay leaf, and cool to room temperature
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together.
- Mix chickpeas with rice, bell pepper, and almonds in a medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad ingredients to combine. Refrigerate for up to four hours before serving or serve immediately.
for the rice
for the chickpeas
for the dressing
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