Charred spring onion & olive rice salad

Enjoy this rice salad as part of a summer feast. With mixed grains, olives, sundried tomatoes, almonds and spring onions, it's filling and full of flavour

Prep:15 mins
Cook:15 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 292
fat 13g
saturates 2g
carbs 30g
sugars 7g
fibre 7g
protein 11g
salt 0.6g

Ingredients

100g pitted Spanish green olives, drained
bunch spring onions (150g)
1 tsp olive oil
750g cooked mixed grains and rice (or 3 x 250g pouches)
3 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
100g sundried tomatoes, sliced
50g flaked almonds, toasted
2 celery sticks, chopped
50g manchego shavings or vegetarian alternative (optional)

Tip

Cooking with olives

Charring olives makes them juicier as well as giving great texture and depth of flavour.

Keep it vegan

To ensure the salad is vegan, use cider vinegar (or check the label on the red wine or sherry vinegar), omit the manchego and top with extra flaked almonds or whole toasted almonds, roughly chopped. You can also add 4 tbsp raisins, for sweetness, if you like.

Method

Thread the olives onto metal or bamboo skewers. Heat a griddle pan or light the barbecue, then when the flames have died down and the coals are white, toss the spring onions with the oil and grill for 8-10 mins to cook until tender. Grill the olives for a few mins, turning regularly, until they look a little charred. Remove the spring onions from the grill and cut into bite-sized pieces. Remove the olive skewers from the grill.
Heat the grains and rice pouches, if using, in the microwave for 2 mins until warm. Toss with the vinegar, some seasoning and the sundried tomatoes with a little drizzle of the oil from the jar. Leave for a few mins for the dressing to be absorbed.
Toss the olives, spring onions, toasted almonds and celery into the rice. To serve, stir through the manchego, if using, and season to taste.