California Brown Rice Salad with Pineapple, Apple, Pistachios and Golden Raisins
By Julie Cader
Celebrate the start of summer with a delightful California brown rice salad jam-packed with pineapple, green apple, celery, golden raisins and pistachios. A yummy change of pace from potato or pasta picnic salads, brown rice salad is a popular side dish for a summertime barbecue.
Ingredients
For the salad:
6 cups cooked California brown rice, cooled
1 cup diced celery
1 diced green apple
½ cup dried pineapple chunks
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup pistachios
Chopped chives and parsley for garnish
Crumbled Wisconsin Blue Cheese, optional
In a bowl, combine the cooled brown rice with the other ingredients, mix well.
For the salad dressing:
1 six-ounce can of Dole Pineapple Juice
¼ cup honey
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a bowl, whisk salad dressing ingredients until smooth. Stir into rice mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend and the dressing to be absorbed. Garnish with chopped chives and parsley. For added zing, sprinkle with crumbled Wisconsin Blue Cheese before serving.
So grab the wine—we’re going on a picnic!
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.