Grain Salad with Use-It-All-Up Pesto
This hearty, satisfying main-course salad can be made with rice or whatever grain you have in the pantry: farro, millet, quinoa, etc. Orzo or couscous are also great options.
Serves4 as a main
Makes7 to 8 cups
Prep30 minutes
Cook8 minutes to 10 minutes
Come summer, ogling produce becomes a bit of a hobby. Between tomatoes so ripe they practically burst with the gentlest nudge and peaches fragrant enough to perfume my entire kitchen, I have to literally force myself not to take pounds of fruit and veg back home — leaving a fair chunk of change at the market in exchange.
I do, however, have a secret weapon for a meal that shows off flavorful produce in a summery dinner without spending a week’s pay. Vegetable tops, herb stems, leftover cooked brown rice, white beans, and few other pantry ingredients come together into a hearty, pesto-slicked, main-course salad for four — for less than $10. Served warm, cold, or somewhere in between (and incidentally vegan and gluten-free), it’s a snap to pack up and take on a picnic or to a barbecue, and a dream to make for a last-minute dinner.
What You Need to Make Brown Rice Salad with Use-It-All-Up Pesto
The rice: Start with the base of the dish. You’ll need 4 to 5 cups of cooked short-grain brown rice (from about 1 3/4 cups dry, $0.65). Any grain you have in the pantry — from farro to millet to kamut to quinoa, or even a short pasta like orzo or couscous — can be swapped in here (keep in mind that most of those contain gluten, and some cost more than rice).
For this dish, the rice can be cooked up to 24 hours in advance and is safe to eat cold, if cooled properly before storing. Spread the cooked rice on a sheet pan to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate. If you’d like to make the rice any earlier, freeze it, then thaw.
The beans: When it comes to beans, 3 cups of cannellini, navy, butter, or even chickpeas will do, cooked from a heaping cup of dry ($0.60); or two cans ($1.50).
The veggies and pesto: Buy a pound of firm vegetables like radishes, carrots, or beets ($2.50) with their greens still attached, as well as a big bunch of herbs ($1). Instead of tossing those vegetable tops and herb stems into the compost, blend everything into a verdant pesto with a little help from some pantry and fridge staples, like lemon zest and juice ($0.60), toasted sunflower seeds ($0.33), white miso paste ($0.47), fat cloves of garlic ($0.03), and a good glug of olive oil ($0.98). Char the raw off the vegetables in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. Fold everything together and you’re in business.
Grain Salad with Use-It-All-Up Pesto Recipe
This hearty, satisfying main-course salad can be made with rice or whatever grain you have in the pantry: farro, millet, quinoa, etc. Orzo or couscous are also great options.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 8 minutes to 10 minutes
Makes 7 to 8 cups
Serves 4 as a main
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 ounces
fresh cilantro, parsley, and/or dill (about 1 large bunch)
- 1 pound
radishes, carrots, and/or beets with their tops (1 to 2 bunches)
- 1
medium lemon
- 1/4 cup
plus 2 tablespoons toasted, salted sunflower seeds, divided
- 1 tablespoon
white miso paste
- 2 large cloves
garlic
- 1/4 cup
plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/4
plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more as needed
- 2 (about 15-ounce) cans
chickpeas or white beans, such as cannellini, navy, or butter, or 3 cups cooked beans
- 4 to 5 cups
cooked short-grain brown rice
Instructions
Coarsely chop the leaves and stems 4 ounces fresh cilantro, parsley, or dill. Cut the greens from 1 pound radishes, carrots, or beets. Coarsely chop the greens and add to the herbs until you have 4 packed cups total. Place in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon into the food processor (about 1 tablespoon), then juice 1/2 of the lemon (about 1 tablespoons) into the food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon white miso paste, 2 large garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Pulse until a chunky paste forms.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and process until smooth. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Heat a large regular or cast iron skillet over medium heat. If using radishes, halve or cut into pieces no larger than 1-inch if large. If using carrots or beets, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to combine.
Working in batches if needed, add the vegetables to the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until charred and just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse 2 (about 15-ounce) cans white beans or chickpeas. Place in the now-empty bowl; add the pesto, 4 to 5 cups cooked brown rice, and remaining 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds.
When the vegetables are ready, transfer to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges for serving.
Recipe Notes
White beans: 1 heaping cup uncooked beans will yield 3 cups cooked.
Brown rice: 1 3/4 cups uncooked short-grain brown rice will yield 4 to 5 cups cooked.
Make ahead: The rice salad can be made up to 12 hours ahead without the final 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds; stir in the sunflower seeds right before serving. Alternatively, the pesto and vegetables can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers.
Grilling: The vegetables can be cooked, covered, in a preheated skillet over direct medium heat (about 350ºF) on an outdoor grill for 5 to 7 minutes.
Storage: If the rice was prepared the same day as the dish, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If the rice was prepared the day prior, refrigerate and eat leftovers within 24 hours.