Lemony Rice Salad with Winter Vegetables

This rice salad with winter vegetables can only be described as crisp, bright, easy and comforting. This is the time of year where vegetables tend to disappear at the farmer’s market, and we’re left with only a few options, and after stews and soups and pastas run their course, sometimes I’m just in the mood for something bright. This salad totally fits the bill.

This winter salad uses a light, salty, lemony dressing that is packed with shallots and chives, and then piles on radishes, carrots, fennel (my favorite) and mixes it together with warm rice and crispy tempeh to truly complete the meal. It might seem like a lot, but the process is quick, calming (because there is a lot of chopping) and you’re left with a fantastic result that holds up for meal prep, or as an easy, healthy weeknight meal. If you are looking for a winter salad that doesn’t necessarily match what you think of as a “winter salad,” this rice salad will fit the bill.

A little bit of context about rice salad

Before anyone goes around thinking I’m claiming to invent rice salad, trust me, I’m not even close. And this is not even close to a true rice salad. This is more of rice-with-salad rice salad, if that’s a thing? When you look up rice salad, you’ll first find a lot of Mediterranean and Italian versions. These versions usually contain herbs, tomatoes, pine nuts, and are dressed in acid and olive oil, so not too far off from the rice salad energy that we are going for here.

Rice salads are typically seen as a summer dish, and that’s where the key difference comes in. With this rice salad I’m harnessing the unique crunch of hearty winter vegetables, and giving it a full dressing, with some crispy tempeh to round out the protein. This makes this a vegan rice salad with winter vegetables, which is far from traditional, but is definitely delicious!

Ingredients for this rice salad with winter vegetables

Now that we’ve covered what rice salad technically is, here is what you need to make this wintery version:

• 1 cup short grain white rice
• 1 8 oz. pack of tempeh
• 2 medium shallots
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 tbsp preserved lemon paste, or 1/4 of a preserved lemon, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 large radish, can be blue radishes or watermelon radishes
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large grapefruit
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, as needed

How to make crispy tempeh

Crispy tempeh is now a reoccuring character in the cast that is the Justine Snacks blog. But what can I say? I just love that it acts as a nutty, crispy addition to any kind of meal. It’s like free protein – but with *crunch*

To make it, just crumble or chop up the tempeh until it is in small crumbles. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and season with salt. Roast at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, or until the tempeh is golden brown.

The dressing for this rice salad with winter vegetables

Like all good dressings, I make this dressing directly in the bowl that the salad is going into. Less mess, no fuss, super simple.

So while the tempeh is roasting, prepare the dressing. Finely dice the shallots and chop the chives, add them to a large bowl. Add in the preserved lemon paste, the honey, the juice from the second half of the lemon, and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper as needed and stir to combine, and that’s it for the dressing for the rice salad with winter vegetables!

How to bring this recipe together

To finalize the whole thing, thinly slice the radish, fennel, and carrot. Slice the grapefruit. Add all of the vegetables to the bowl with the dressing and toss with clean hands.

When the tempeh is finished, pour the cooked rice onto the baking sheet and then take the roasted lemon half and squeeze the remaining pulp onto the rice. Mix to combine everything together.

To serve, add a generous pile of rice to a plate, layer the salad on top, and top with a few basil leaves. And that’s it!

FAQ

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few plant-forward recipes I have been LOVING lately:

And that’s everything for this lemony rice salad with winter vegetables!

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