North African Quinoa / Rice Salad

You know what is really good?  Harissa.  It has such a unique taste and a great hit of spice.  I made this recipe up while craving a sort of “North African” flavor profile – lemon, parsley, raisins to cut the spice of the harissa.  You’re going to like it.

Today I made this with a box of quick-cook brown rice / quinoa mix I found buried in my cupboard, but either on their own work.  I like quinoa because of its high protein content but brown rice is nice for a change, and you still have the fiber to slow the absorption of the carbohydrate load.

Like my other grain based salads, this comes together in no time and makes quite a bit (not that its going to go uneaten long!).  Its great as a side, but is balanced enough for a meal.  If you don’t use harissa usually, its really worth getting a jar for this.  The jars are usually small (so it won’t add to your condiment stash in your fridge for long), and making a quick dressing of harissa, honey, lemon & olive oil is the nicest topping for pretty much any roasted vegetable – I love it with roasted cauliflower…

North African Quinoa / Rice Salad

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 1 Tbsp harissa
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 5 Tbsp lemon
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil

SALAD

  • 1/2 cup raisins (plus more to top)
  • 2 bunches parsley 
  • 1 bunch mint
  • 1 red pepper 
  • 2 carrots 
  • 1/2 cup toasted almond slivers (plus more to top)
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice (1 cup dry)
  • 1 1/2 cup cooked green lentils (3/4 cup dry)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a mug.
  2. Put raisins to soak in dressing.
  3. Put the oven to 200C and toast almond slivers on a baking sheet (watch carefully) for about 3 minutes.
  4. Prepare the vegetables: chop parsley, mint and red pepper. Shred the carrots.
  5. Combine all ingredients except almond slivers and toss with dressing. 
  6. Salt to taste.
  7. Either stir the almonds through right before serving or serve topped with almonds & raisins.
SaladKaleigh Briggs