Mexican rice salad

Name: Mexican rice salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Parboiled rice 1.7 cups; Precooked red beans (drained weight) 0.8 cup; Fresh scallion 2 oz; Corn 0.6 cup; Lime peel to taste; Chives to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Red peppers to be cleaned 2 cups; Yellow peppers to be cleaned 2 cups; Water 2 glasses; Apple cider vinegar 0.8 cup; White wine 1.7 oz; Sugar 4 tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Oregano to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low
Note + chilling time in the fridge (at least 1 hour)

PRESENTATION

Mexican rice salad gets its spine from a quick sweet-and-sour step: yellow and red bell peppers briefly blanched in water, vinegar, and sugar come out crunchy, juicy, and noticeably easier to digest than raw. Red beans sautéed with spring onion add a little richness, while sweet corn kernels bring color and a clean pop of sweetness. Lime zest ties everything together with a bright, citrusy note that signals the Mexican influence from the first bite. The result is a cold summer dish that is fully vegetarian and leans on bold, simple flavors rather than a heavy dressing.

Because the peppers hold their texture after blanching, this salad actually improves with a few hours in the refrigerator—the vegetables absorb the seasoning and the whole bowl settles into something more cohesive than it is fresh from the pan. That quality makes it a practical choice when you want to get ahead of a summer gathering, prep a week's worth of lunches, or pack something that will still taste good hours after it leaves your kitchen. A short stretch of refrigerator time is all it takes to turn a quick assembly into a dish worth repeating.

INGREDIENTS

Parboiled rice 1.7 cups (300 g)

Precooked red beans 0.8 cup (150 g) - (drained weight)

Fresh scallion 2 oz (50 g)

Corn 0.6 cup (100 g)

Lime peel to taste

Chives to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

For the peppers: Red peppers 2 cups (300 g) - to be cleaned; Yellow peppers 2 cups (300 g) - to be cleaned; Water 2 glasses (500 g); Apple cider vinegar 0.8 cup (200 g); White wine 1.7 oz (50 g); Sugar 4 tbsp (50 g); Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Oregano to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Mexican rice salad

To prepare the Mexican rice salad, first cook the rice in salted boiling water for the time indicated on the package 1. In the meantime, clean the green onion and slice it thinly 2. Put the green onion in a pan with a drizzle of oil 3 and let it soften and turn golden over medium-low heat.

Add the kidney beans 4 and sauté everything for a few minutes, stirring often 5, then set aside. Once the rice is cooked, drain it into a large bowl 6 and let it cool.

Meanwhile, take care of the peppers: halve them lengthwise 7 and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler 8. Cut them first into strips and then into cubes about 1/4 inch 9. Do the same with the yellow peppers.

In a small saucepan pour the water, the white wine 10 and the apple cider vinegar 11. Also add the sugar 12 and bring to a boil.

Add the peppers and let simmer for about 3 minutes 13, then drain them into a bowl 14. Season with oil, salt and pepper 15.

Flavor with the oregano 16 and stir 17. At this point the rice should have cooled, so add the peppers 18.

Also add the corn 19 and the beans with the green onion 20, then scent with the grated lemon zest 21.

Finally, garnish with the chives 22 and mix everything well 23. Let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for at least one hour, after which your Mexican rice salad is ready to be served 34!

Storage

The Mexican rice salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Tip

Prepare the rice salad the day before for a more intense flavor.

Replace the chives with fresh cilantro to further emphasize the Mexican inspiration of this recipe! Alternatively, you can use parsley or the green part of the green onion cut into rings.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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