Mediterranean Brown Butter Rice Salad

Onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes are cooked down until almost caramelised in a beautiful brown butter sauce. Rice and quinoa are tossed in, with handfuls of mint, sultanas, almonds, and greens, to create a flavour packed salad. This salad keeps well so it’s a perfect make-ahead weeknight meal, for lunch the next day, or for entertaining! Please read ahead for the recipe!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 100grams of butter

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes

• 1 brown onion, very finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

• 1/4 lemon, very thinly sliced

• 10 -15 cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 2 mixed cups of brown rice an quinoa (precooked according to packet instructions)

• Greens; baby spinach / lettuce / kale, washed and roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup of golden sultanas

• 1/2 cup of flaked almonds

• 1 bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cook rice and quinoa according to packet instructions and set aside. In a medium saucepan on medium -high heat add butter and cook, stirring occasionally, while it melts, then foams, then browns. (Around 5-7 minutes)

• Once the butter has darkened and is releasing a nutty aroma, add the olive oil and spices then stir through. Add the onions, garlic, sliced lemon, and tomatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the onions are almost caramelised and the tomatoes are about to burst. Lastly, add the tablespoon of white wine vinegar, stir through, then take off the heat.

• In a large serving bowl add the rice and quinoa mix, sultanas, mixed greens, half the chopped mint, and the brown butter mixture of onions and tomatoes. Give everything a good mix, then sprinkle over the remaining mint and flaked almonds to serve. Please enjoy!

Notes: if you’re making this salad ahead of time, give the rice salad a quick zap in the microwave if you want then fluff up with a fork before serving!