Mango Cucumber Rice Salad

I hear most of the US population is sticking to their leather couches, eating popsicles for dinner and refusing to turn on their ovens. Sound about right? I think we got off easy with our 90 degree temps lately. Believe me, I’m not rubbing it in. I hear that we normally have hotter weather ’round these parts. Our time will come. Luckily we don’t have leather couches.

And when the heat comes, I think we’ll eat this Mango Cucumber Rice Salad for dinner every night. The only heat-producing appliance required is a rice cooker (or stovetop, obviously) and it’s packed with cool cucumbers, chunks of mango, crunchy almonds and toothy rice and quinoa. All dressed up in a light lime-cilantro vinaigrette.

What do you eat when you can’t bear the heat?

This salad would be great with some Perfect Grilled Lemon Chicken or some grilled chicken apple sausages!

Or by itself, really, if you’re feeling like a meat-free dinner.

(Besides ice cream, that is.)

Mango Cucumber Rice Salad

Yield: Serves 6-8

Total Time: about 45 minutes

Mango Cucumber Rice Salad is a perfect summertime meal with some grilled chicken! Don’t turn on the oven unless you absolutely have to!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rice blend (I used a blend of brown and wild rice)
1/4 cup quinoa
Grated zest and juice from 1 lime
2 T neutral-flavored oil, like avocado
1 tsp honey
Freshly ground pepper
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (or 1/2 of an English cucumber)
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sliced almonds or other type of chopped nuts

Directions:

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add about 2 T of salt to the water, then add the rice. Cook for about 15 minutes, then add the quinoa to the water. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or so until the rice and quinoa are tender. Drain and and rinse under cold water until grains have cooled. Shake off excess water.

Meanwhile, whisk the lime juice and zest, oil, sugar, 1 tsp of salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the rice mixture, mango, cucumber, jalapeno, green onions, and nuts and toss to combine. Season with additional salt if necessary.

Nat’s Notes:
1. I didn’t have a jalapeno on hand when I made this, so I just added a shake or two of hot sauce to the dressing.

adapted from Food Network Magazine Jul/Aug 2011

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