This healthy Black Rice and Spinach Salad is full of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. Treat yourself to this gluten free power salad - you deserve it!
Dog for sale - Anyone? Anyone? Cute, loving, fluffy and full of energy. Seriously, Cooper is driving me crazy.
He still pees in the kitchen (even after being outside for 20 minutes).
His favorite pastime is counter surfing. Most recently he has eaten an 8 inch chocolate cake (and lived to tell the story) and half of a Quinoa Salad with Fennel. He must be the healthiest dog on the planet.
He has chewed holes in the molding of my kitchen.
He brings in sticks, rocks, piles of dirt and once a dead mouse.
Any advice is appreciated. I'm a newbie at this.
Still eating white rice? This black rice will change your life. It has so many more nutrients than white and it's full of hearty flavor. It's also called forbidden rice because in Ancient China it was only served to the Royals and the common people were forbidden to eat it. Black rice contains 5 grams of fiber and almost 9 grams of protein. Wow, that puts it right up there with quinoa. Black rice has the highest antioxidants of any variety of rice. Remember, the more colorful your food is the more antioxidants it contains (and I don't mean food coloring!) So come on, put down the white stuff and give this a spin.
Black rice, like quinoa, is a blank slate for any flavor or mix in you want to throw at it. The rice will absorb the dressing and holds up well in the fridge for several days. It doesn't get soggy and has a bit of bite to it. In this case, I topped it with some of my favorite spring salad toppers; strawberries, blueberries, spinach and pistachios. It's great in a stir fry, rice and beans, overnight porridge or chicken and rice soup.
I always cook mine in a rice cooker because I'm lazy. Not really, but it always comes out perfect; not sticky, just nice and fluffy. I got my rice cooker at CVS for $12 so rice cookers can be affordable. I use it at least 4 times per week for all of my grains. Here is a similar one from Amazon. I think every kitchen should have one. I like that it's low profile and doesn't take up a lot of prime real estate in my kitchen. Trust me, it shaves off time in your weekly prep if you eat a lot of grains.
Try black rice! You'll love it.
Black Rice and Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked black rice forbidden
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ -1 cup pistachios
- Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar or another vinegar see notes
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Mix all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake.
- Dress salad and mix well.
- Feel free to add feta.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.
Raquel @ My California Roots says
Haha, sounds like your pup is a hungry one! 😉
This salad looks great. I LOVE black rice - it's so moody and fun. I bet it's amazing with the berries in this salad!
Lynn says
Black rice and spinach salad? How can we not enjoy this?
Lauren says
Hi long will the dressing keepin the refrigerator?
Karen Kelly says
Two to three days. Thanks!