Thanksgiving Harvest Rice Salad. ~. Vegetarian

                                           

Thanksgiving Harvest Rice Salad

Celebrate your favorite fall holiday with this refreshing Thanksgiving Harvest Rice Salad for a festive fireworks display for your taste buds. Packed with tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and zesty green onions, this dish pairs perfectly with its light and sunny citrus dressing. Using a nutty brown rice and wild rice mix, Thanksgiving Harvest Rice Salad brings vibrant colors and flavors to your holiday table, with colors just like the falling leaves outside.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice and wild rice mix
water, according to the package instructions
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, optionally toasted
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon orange zest
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a pot, add the rice, the water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and stir briefly to combine. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low 
and cover the pot.

Allow the rice to simmer, covered and undisturbed, until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 50 minutes.

Transfer the covered pot from the heat and allow the rice to rest until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Allow the rice to cool to almost room temperature.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the cooked rice, the cranberries, the pecans, and the green onions and stir and fold to combine.

In a jar with a lid, add the lemon juice, the olive oil, the orange zest, the extra salt, and the black pepper.

Seal the jar and shake vigorously until the lemon juice mixture is combined. Add the dressing to the rice mixture, stir, and serve immediately.