Italian rice salad with radicchio, taleggio cheese and olive vinaigrette
Delight in the flavors of Italy with a delightful rice salad featuring the sharp bite of radicchio, the creamy richness of Taleggio cheese, all tied together with a tangy olive vinaigrette. Bon appétit!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice (or other Italian short or medium grain rice)
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 small onion (peeled but not chopped)
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 small head radicchio
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large bell peppers (I used a yellow and an orange one)
- 1/2 cup Taleggio cheese, diced
- 1/4 cup good quality olives (see headnote)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 10 small grape tomatoes (quartered)
- 1/2 cup good quality green or black olives, pitted
- 2 teaspoons shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 Meyer lemons (or regular lemons, if Meyers aren't available)
- 1 anchovy
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Prepare the dressing. Combine olives, shallots, parsley, and anchovy in a blender. Grate the zest from Meyer lemons or regular lemons and add it to the blender. (You should have approximately 2 teaspoons of zest.) Cut the lemons in half and extract the juice. If using Meyer lemons, you should have around 4 tablespoons of juice; for regular lemons, use only 2 tablespoons of juice. Drizzle roughly 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the blender, cover it, and blend the ingredients until smooth. Gradually add the remaining oil with the blender running. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper if necessary. (The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.)
- Roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 250 °C. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Arrange the peppers on the foil and place the baking sheet in the oven. Roast the peppers, turning them occasionally, until all sides are charred, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Once done, transfer the peppers to a bowl. Seal the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the peppers cool until they can be handled (approximately 20 minutes). Uncover the peppers, discard the stems and seeds, and peel off the charred skin. Slice the peppers thinly and set them aside.
- Prepare the rice: In a large saucepan, combine water, onion, 1 tablespoon of salt, parsley sprigs, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a lively simmer. Cook the rice uncovered for around fifteen minutes. Check the doneness by tasting a grain of rice; it should be tender but still firm, not mushy. Remove the saucepan from the heat, drain the rice, and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool down.
- Prepare the radicchio: Preheat the oven to broil. Remove the core from the radicchio and quarter it. Toss the radicchio with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the radicchio wedges cut side down on a small baking sheet. Broil for five minutes, then lower the heat to 200 °Cand continue roasting for another 10 minutes until the radicchio is crispy and slightly charred. Let it cool for about five minutes, then brush each wedge with 1 teaspoon of olive vinaigrette. Slice the radicchio into thick strips and set it aside.
- Assemble the salad: Place the rice on a large serving dish or platter. Add the roasted peppers, radicchio, olives, parsley, and grape tomatoes. Gently toss the ingredients to combine. Gradually add the vinaigrette to the salad, one tablespoon at a time, ensuring all components are coated without excess pooling at the bottom. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary. Top the salad with diced cheese and serve! (The dressed salad can sit for about half an hour before serving if needed.)
Summary:
- Calories: 2647 kcal
- Fat: 168 g
- Protein: 56 g
- Carbs: 249 g
- Potassium: 4093 mg
- Magnesium: 296 mg