Einkorn and Rice Salad with Dried Apricots and Almonds
I typically start making it in the morning, when the house is still peaceful and silent, by boiling the grains for it. Somewhere between the breakfast of my daughter, the games, the house and garden responsibilities, I usually find few minutes to chop the dried fruits and nuts and to prepare the rest of the ingredients. Then, just before the family gets to the table I mix in the greens. And that’s all – the healthy and delicious lunch is served. No-fuss, no extended spinning around the stove. Another reason we make this salad relatively often is our love for Einkorn wheat. And the "Ottolenghi salad" gives us another good chance to use this ancient grain. But should you don’t like Einkorn wheat or you happen to not have it, don’t worry – every ingredient in this salad is substitutable with another, making the possible variations literally endless. We had to try it with buckwheat, as in the original recipe, quinoa, and amaranth, with all kinds of nuts (still almonds are my favorite here); raisins, chopped dried plums or dried cherries and cranberries, instead of the dried apricots; with all kind of green leaves we grow in our garden; with or without spring onion. You can also quite liberally vary with the quantities of the ingredients, as with every salad. The one thing we need to outline is the importance of a rather abundant amount of olive oil – the dish is delicious when "juicy", otherwise there is a possibility for the grains to dry out and the whole mixture to be a bit insipid.The blog post is about a salad made with einkorn and rice with dried apricots and almonds for added flavor. Einkorn is an ancient form of wheat that has been shown to have more nutrients than modern wheat varieties because of its low gluten content. Rice provides energy as well as some protein for this dish. Dried apricots give a slight sweetness while almonds add crunchiness to the dish which helps balance all the other ingredients.
- 250 g Einkorn wheat
- 200 g wild Himalayan rice
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 80-100 ml olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed (or 2 stems spring garlic, finely chopped)
- 150 g dried apricots, chopped
- 50-70 g peeled almonds (either raw or roasted), roughly chopped
- 5 spring onions, thinly sliced
- Salt
- 20-30 g parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped
- 10 g basil leaves, torn
- 50-70 g rocket (arugula) leaves
Before boiling, I wash the grains briefly under cold water. My favorite rice for this salad is the wild Himalayan. And as it’s a kind of basmati rice, I cook it in a small saucepan with cold water (1 part rice, 2 parts water).
Bring to a boil, lower the temperature, cover with a lid and let it steam for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat when still al dente, and let it stay in the saucepan with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then transfer it to the cold salad bowl to cool, gently fluffing it up with a fork.
For the einkorn wheat, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the rinsed grains and boil gently, until the grains are al dente (it generally boils similar to wild rice – the time needed will vary from 25 to 30-35 minutes). Rinse under cold water and leave to drain.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by mixing the olive oil with the lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt and set aside.
Once the einkorn wheat is cold enough, add it to the rice, followed by the chopped apricots, almonds, and spring onions. Pour the dressing over the mixture and give it a nice jumble until everything is well mixed.
Just before serving, stir in the herbs. You can arrange the ready salad in layers (altering the grain mixture with layers of the rocket, or (especially if your rocket is a bit tough, but proudly homegrown like mine) torn it roughly and mix it in the salad.
This grain salad is actually even tastier on the next day, served cold after a morning spent on the beach in the park or in the garden, whenever you happen to spend your free time. Just remember to add the greens (herbs and rocket) before serving.
The recipe is adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s buckwheat and rice salad.