Harvest Brown Rice Salad
Who says rice has to be boring? This colorful salad brings together apple-cider brown rice, cinnamon-spiced apples, tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. Sweet, savory, and a little unexpected—my kind of salad!
Note: Cook the brown rice in advance in the Deluxe Multi-Cooker, then warm it with apple cider before assembling the salad.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Cooked brown rice, prepared in the Deluxe Multi-Cooker (about 6 cups cooked if starting with 2 cups dry rice)
- 1½ cups apple cider
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 1 medium red baking apple, cored and cut into ¼-inch rings
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend
- Salad mix containing radicchio (enough for the salad)
- 5 celery stalks
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Directions
- Cook the brown rice in the Deluxe Multi-Cooker according to your usual rice settings. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the cooked rice, apple cider, and salt. Stir and heat until the rice is warmed through and has absorbed some of the cider.
- Stir in the dried cranberries and set the rice mixture aside while you prepare the apples.
- Meanwhile, heat the Stainless Steel Sauté Pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the apple rings with Cinnamon Plus, then place them in the butter in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed until the butter helps form a golden, caramelized crust on the underside; flip and brown the other side. Work in batches if needed.
- Cut the butter-crusted apple rings into quarters and gently stir them into the rice. Transfer the rice mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
- Thinly slice the celery. Toss the salad mix containing radicchio with the celery, rice, chives, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with the walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.
Laura’s Tip
- Rice shortcut: I cooked regular brown rice in my Deluxe Multi-Cooker, then warmed it in the skillet with apple cider to add flavor. You can use instant brown rice instead, as the original recipe suggests; just cook it according to the package directions before adding it to the skillet.
- Butter-crusted apples: Let the apples sit in the butter in the sauté pan long enough to develop a beautiful golden crust before turning. Cinnamon Plus adds a sweet surprise in every bite.