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Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Salads and Bowls, Vegan, Vegetarian · September 21, 2016

Black Rice Salad with Pickled Cherries + Hazelnuts

To me, there’s something alluring about black rice. Maybe because its moniker is “Forbidden Rice,” said to have once been eaten exclusively by the Emperors of China. Or maybe it’s the deep purple color. Or it could be because of the salads you can make with it. Inherently filling, layered with flavor and texture, black rice salads always seem like a celebration.

Black rice salad with pickled cherries and hazelnuts in a white bowl, shot from overhead with flowers. this …

These are the kind of salads I live for. Salads that leave me feeling satisfied and nourished. Salads that I can bring to a party and am told “I need this recipe;” ones that change a person’s perspective of what a “salad” can be.

Hazelnuts roasting on a baking sheet.
Cherries in a white bowl shot from overhead.

This black rice salad with pickled cherries, charred corn, and hazelnuts is just that type of salad. The kind you can’t stop eating. The kind that, perhaps with a little added protein, could be a meal in and of itself. Nutty, sweet, smoky, crunchy, and fresh; the flavors and textures are exciting, each bite a little different from the last. And the pickled cherries! They’re the crown jewels of the dish, like little bursts of summer in all their sweet and tart glory.

Pickled cherries in mason jars.
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Black rice salad with pickled cherries and hazelnuts in a white bowl, shot from overhead with flowers.

Black Rice Salad with Pickled Cherries + Hazelnuts

  • Author: Ally Milligan
  • Prep Time: 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Black rice salad with pickled cherries and hazelnuts: a crowd-pleasing, filling, and flavorful salad. Vegan and gluten-free.


Ingredients

Scale

Pickled Cherries

  • 1 pound cherries, pitted and stems removed
  • 1 1/2 cups white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup water

Salad

  • 1 1/3 cups dry black rice (aka Forbidden Rice)
  • 1 cup raw hazelnuts
  • 4 ears of corn, husked
  • extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the corn
  • 1/2 pound pickled cherries (1 pint which is half of the recipe above)
  • 1/2 cup mint, coarsely chopped

Dressing

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup cherry pickling brine
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Pickled Cherries

  1. Place pitted cherries in 2 heatproof pint jars. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over cherries and let cool. Cover and chill.

Salad

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the rice. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, 1 1/3 cups black rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for a few minutes and set aside.
  3. Toast the hazelnuts. Once the oven is preheated, toast the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, coarsely chop, and set aside.
  4. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, fresh orange juice, cherry pickling brine, olive oil, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add salt to taste and set aside.
  5. Char the corn. Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium heat. Brush ears of corn with a bit of oil and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and blackened in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool and cut kernels from the cobs.
  6. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl mix together the cooked black rice, charred corn, pickled cherries, and dressing. Add hazelnuts and mint right before serving and season with more salt to taste.

Notes

This salad will last up to 4 days in the fridge.

Keywords: black rice salad, black rice, cherry salad, hazelnut salad

Did you make this recipe?

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Tag @loveleafco and hashtag it #loveleafco

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. There is no additional cost to you. I only link to products I truly recommend and trust.

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