this bright and sunny wintry citrus rice and quinoa salad is brought to you in partnership with della rice.
exciting stuff here today, friends. first of all, it’s snowing as i type this – yay! (no, seriously, i love the snow. also, we are fortunate to have a snow blower. double yay!)
second of all, we have this bright and sunny wintry citrus rice and quinoa salad to inject some color and sunshine into our day, since at least the view from my window is white on white. (not to turn this into a weather report but, this is the first snow storm in the past week (and we’ve had 4 storms now) where the snow was wet and heavy enough to stick to the trees and make them pretty. see related: very grateful for our snow blower!)
and the third exciting thing about today’s post is that it’s coming to you in partnership with della rice. the what now? here’s the deal: when i go to costco, i scoop up a 12-pound bag of della’s basmati brown rice. <3 i come home and i throw the bag in our freezer (also grateful for the huge freezer in the basement that we inherited with this house so that 2 people can make it through a 12-pound (picture a bag of cat litter size) rice before it goes bad!). then every time i make something with rice (like this delicious peanut red curry that i’m making a double batch of this weekend!), we have yummy rice to go with our dinner.
so when della rice approached me to ask if i would like to work with them to create some recipes using their rices, i said ‘yes please!’. their support helps tasty seasons keep chugging along and we all get to eat delicious recipes (did i mention they also have arborio rice, the kind that is used in risotto?). win-win! (here’s a link to my recipe over on their blog, in case you want to check it out.)
so, regarding this wintry citrus rice and quinoa salad, one of the things i like best about it is how bright it is, both in taste and appearance. as i mentioned, at a time of year when the days can be a bit monotone, the vivid colors of this salad are a welcome break. i like to use a mix of bright naval oranges and deep red blood oranges to maximize the sunshine-on-a-plate effect.
my other favorite thing about this salad is how quick and easy it is to put together. onion and red pepper get a quick sauté before adding the basmati rice and quinoa blend. while that’s cooking, i slice a few oranges and get the toppings ready to go. once the rice is done, everything comes together in a beautiful and filling salad. sometimes i will add sliced chicken or a bit of salmon while other times i prefer to keep it vegan and just enjoy the happy medley of flavors in the salad.
hooray sunshine on my plate and snow in my yard!
wintry citrus rice and quinoa salad
Save to BigOven Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 cup (180 g. / 6 3/8 oz.) della basmati and quinoa rice blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz. / 473 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
- a few dashes of hot sauce, such as tapatío or tabasco
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 medium naval orange, see notes
- juice of 1 medium naval orange
- 4 oranges (i like a mix of naval and blood oranges)
- 1/2 cup (78 g. / 2 3/4 oz.) thinly sliced scallions
- 1/2 cup (43 g. / 1 1/2 oz.) sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/4 cup (28 g. / 1 oz.) dried cranberries
Instructions
- in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to cook the rice, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. add the rice, paprika, broth, and hot sauce. stir, bring to a boil, cover, and turn down to simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
- in a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the extra virgin olive oil, zest, and orange juice. cover and set aside.
- cut both ends off of 1 of the oranges and stand the flat end on a cutting board. using a sharp knife, cut the peel and white pith away from the orange. turn the orange on its side and slice into discs (see photos). repeat with the other 3 oranges.
- when the rice is cooked, shake the dressing (oil, zest, and juice) then pour over the rice. stir to coat the rice. transfer to a serving plate or bowl. top with the orange slices, scallions, almonds, and dried cranberries. this salad is delicious warm, room temperature, or cold. leftovers keep well in the fridge for a couple days when they're in an airtight container.
Notes
do yourself a favor and zest the orange before you juice it.
you will need 5 oranges for this recipe: 1 to zest and juice and 4 to cut in to segments.
feel free to add some cooked chicken or salmon, if you like!
Nutrition Facts
wintry citrus rice and quinoa salad
Serves: 6
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 322 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat | 0 | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 0 | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons
this post is brought to you in partnership with della rice. thank you for supporting brands i love to use in my kitchen; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at tasty seasons! all opinions in this (and every) post are my own.