Asparagus Rice Salad

Name: Asparagus Rice Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth; 1/4 cup water; 1 cup uncooked long grain rice; 2 cups cut fresh asparagus (2-inch pieces); 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed; 3 green onions, sliced; 1/3 cup pecan halves; 2 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 3 tablespoons sour cream; 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 4 cups fresh spinach

Fresh asparagus makes this salad special. It's one of my favorite salads to serve in spring.

Ingredients

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups cut fresh asparagus (2-inch pieces)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup pecan halves
2 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups fresh spinach

Directions

In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tinder. Place 1 in. of water and asparagus in a skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add peas; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, asparagus mixture, onions, pecans and cilantro; mix well. In a bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, sour cream, lemon peel, salt and pepper. Pour over rice mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Just before serving, line a platter with 1 cup of spinach. Tear remaining spinach; arrange over spinach leaves. Top with rice mixture.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 286 calories, 15g fat (3g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 413mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 4g fiber), 6g protein.

Originally published as Asparagus Rice Salad in Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook 2003

Reviews

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Average Rating:

150113

Jun 2, 2008

I used 2 Tbl of oil, 3 Tbl sour cream (light sour cream) and almost 1/4 C. lemon juice, and a splash of water. This gave me more dressing to work with, and made it a little lighter, I also used whole wheat rice. My family loved it.