Herby Rice

Herby rice - this delicious green rice salad with pistachios is fresh and vibrant tasting and is packed with fresh herbs.

It is naturally vegan and gluten-free and is perfect as a side dish or as part of a buffet.

This herby rice salad is easy to make but looks impressive and tastes so bright and refreshing.

It is packed with fresh herbs which are blended up with olive oil to form a paste, meaning that every bite is full of herby flavour. The addition of chopped pistachios, rocket and spring onions adds even more flavour as well as a bit of texture.

It is inspired by a green couscous recipe from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi; I switched the cous cous for rice and changed up the herbs and seasonings.

What Do I Need To Make Herby Rice?:

Fresh herbs: I use flat leaf parsley, coriander (cilantro), dill and mint or basil but you can vary these to suit you as long as you use the same overall weight. A bit of fresh tarragon would work really well here. Don't use dry herbs instead, they won't work well here.

Rice: I like basmati but long grain or brown rice would also work well. Be aware that if you use brown rather than white rice then the cooking instructions will be different and it will take longer to cook - follow the directions on the packet.

Olive oil: I recommend using a good extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour.

Rocket: Adds peppery, fresh flavour. A mix of rocket, watercress and baby spinach also works well.

Pistachios: These add flavour but also a nice variation in texture. I buy them roasted and already shelled to save the hassle of shelling them.

Stock: Cooking the rice in stock rather than just water adds more flavour. I use Marigold vegetable bouillon.

Flavourings: I add spring onions (scallions), garlic, lemon, cumin and salt and pepper for flavour. I don't recommend omitting any of these.

How To Make It:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Mix the rice and stock in a large pan. Bring up to a simmer then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave to sit for 10 more minutes.

Place the herbs, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a blender, ideally a high powered one with a tamper tool.

Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Mix the herb paste into the cooked rice along with the chopped pistachios, spring onions, rocket and a good grinding of black pepper. Serve ideally right away.

What To Serve With Herby Rice:

This herby rice is delicious served with roasted vegetables and baked spiced tofu. Or why not try it with:

• Vegan tomato ricotta galette
• Vegan butternut squash and feta phyllo pie
• Vegan corn fritters
• Chickpea and lentil stuffed aubergines
• Tomato sunflower seed pate
• Vegan spanakopita

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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