Today we bring to the table a wonderful Cold Brown Rice with Smoked Salmon, avocado, corn, and arugula. A fresh, colorful, and genuine summer dish that someone from Generation Z might call a “no hassle” meal!
With the arrival of the warm season, temperatures rise, and personally (but I’m not alone), the desire to eat cold dishes takes over!
What could be better than a nice rice salad to serve at the table? You can prepare it well in advance, it keeps in the fridge for up to three days, and it’s really delicious.
Cold rice is one of those perfect dishes for any occasion! For a Sunday lunch, for those who work and are forced to eat away from home. For picnic lovers or for those who enjoy dining by the sea or under an umbrella!
But today, I’m not suggesting the usual rice salad! To prepare this fresh and colorful dish, I relied on Flora Integrale, a special rice that combines the extraordinary cooking resistance of a Parboiled with the precious virtues of brown rice.
Thanks to Flora’s innovative processing method, the rice significantly reduces cooking time, requiring only 12 minutes compared to classic brown rice, and it does not overcook.
Its dark grains and bold, rustic flavor made my cold rice with smoked salmon an explosion of taste!
Moreover, the beauty of this recipe is that the only ingredient you need to cook is the brown rice, all the others require no cooking.
In no time, you can serve a very tasty unique dish. Additionally, Flora Integrale lends itself to preparing many dishes and pairing with various ingredients.
So if you don’t like some particular ingredient I’ve used, at the end of this recipe, you’ll find other combinations to try.
But now let’s get to it and prepare together the Brown Rice with Smoked Salmon, Corn, Arugula, and Avocado. Read to the end because a little gift awaits you from me ❤️
And if you like rice or pasta salads, don’t miss these delicious proposals too:
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (Flora)
- 1 avocado (small size)
- 3.5 oz smoked salmon
- sweet corn, canned, drained (1 small can, drained weight 5 oz)
- as needed arugula
- chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Half tablespoon rice vinegar (or wine vinegar)
- salt
- Half lemon (Juice + zest)
Tools
- Saucepan
- Colander
- Salad Bowl
- Grater
- Ladle
- Cutting Board
- Absorbent Paper
Steps
First, you should cook the Flora Integrale Rice for the time indicated on the package (12 minutes).
Pour water into a large saucepan, bring to a boil, add salt and throw in the rice.
Cover with a lid, and when the time is up, drain the rice, place it on a wide, shallow plate to spread it out and cool it more quickly.
To prevent it from sticking, season with a drizzle of oil and stir it often with a ladle to promote cooling.
Meanwhile, wash the arugula thoroughly, dry it gently with kitchen paper, and chop it with a knife.
Use the amount you feel is right! Arugula has a distinctive and strong taste, so there’s no need to overdo it. Don’t like arugula? No problem! At the end of the recipe, you’ll find the substitutions!
By the way, did you buy packaged arugula and find that the leaves aren’t as fresh as you thought? No problem!
Take a bowl and fill it with very cold water. Immerse the arugula (this also works for other types of salad, parsley, or basil) and leave it for about half an hour. After this time, it will look freshly picked!
Let’s get back to our rice salad! Once it has cooled, place it in a nice (or serving) bowl.
Add the arugula. Then take the avocado, cut it into equally sized chunks, and add it to the bowl.
By the way, don’t know how to choose a perfectly ripe avocado? Read my tips at the end of the article 😉
Drain the corn from the preservation liquid and add it to the other ingredients. Finally, add the smoked salmon cut into strips.
Now prepare the dressing for your special brown rice salad. In a small bowl, pour olive oil, rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, finely chopped fresh parsley (if you like, also some basil leaves), and lemon juice.
Mix everything and pour this emulsion over the rice salad. Gently mix with two salad spoons, and your dish is ready to serve!
The touch that makes the difference? A little zest of lemon to give your dish a summer scent!
I hope this simple yet tasty recipe has made you want to try it!
Let me know in the comments and come back to visit me soon!Copyright protected article © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How to cool rice for rice salads?
Just place it on a flat, wide enough plate to spread it out and cool it more quickly. If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to wait, to speed up this phase, you can place the cooked rice in a container with an airtight seal and immerse it in a bowl full of ice water.
How do I replace arugula?
If you don’t like arugula, no problem! You can replace it with Lamb’s Lettuce, Baby Spinach, Curly Endive, or Watercress. Or omit it altogether 😉
What can I use instead of smoked salmon?
Well, you can substitute it with smoked tuna or canned tuna fillets (or mackerel) in oil. With hard-boiled eggs sliced, or cheese of your choice, for example, crumbled or cubed feta. For a vegetarian/vegan version, you can use smoked tofu.
How to replace corn or avocado?
You can use any vegetable you like. If you prefer ingredients that don’t require cooking, try radishes, cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, or bell peppers. Alternatively, dice a zucchini into equally sized cubes and cook them in an air fryer at 374°F for about 12 minutes, or you can boil them in water for about 7 minutes. Drain well, and once cool, add them to your brown rice salad.
How long can I store already dressed rice salad?
You can refrigerate it in an airtight container and keep it for up to three days.
How to dress cold brown rice in a vegetarian/vegan version?
You can have fun using the vegetables you like most and enrich the rice with pre-cooked chickpeas (or tofu) to make it a well-balanced dish.
How to choose a perfectly ripe avocado?
It’s very simple, just press gently on the surface with a finger; if the avocado is hard, it’s still unripe, and you need to wait a few days before consuming it. If it’s soft, it means it’s too ripe and could be black inside and inedible. When it’s perfectly ripe, only a slight indentation remains on the skin, indicating it’s perfect! You can also recognize it by its color. When it’s very dark, between green and brown, it’s likely not good anymore. When it’s a light and bright green, it’s too unripe.
