Japonica Rice Salad

Deliciously chewy Japonica rice gets a serious upgrade with roasted vegetables, creamy halloumi cheese and a just-right preserved lemon vinaigrette. The colorful side makes for a satisfying snack on its own and the perfect base for a grain bowl.

This recipe was created by Jill Fergus in partnership with Think Rice and The FeedFeed.

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup U.S. Black Japonica Rice
• 1 cup roasted zucchini, seeded (cut lengthwise into four strips, then crosswise in 1” increments)
• 1 cup 1/2 cubed honey nut squash
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeds removed, sliced
• 1 cup cauliflower rosettes
• 4 oz halloumi, pan seared until golden on each side
• Two 1/4 cups olive oil
• Leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Flaky sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

2. Prepare rice per package or rice cooker instructions. I like add a generous pinch of salt and a tsp of olive oil to the cooking water.

3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Separately, toss each vegetable in olive oil and arrange on baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook in 20 increments, removing each vegetable as it’s cooked to your liking.

4. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with 2 tsp preserved lemon paste (or 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice), chopped parsley, flaky sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Adjust acid to suit your taste.

5. When all ingredients have come to room temp or are still slightly warm, toss together and add Vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!