Caribbean Rice Salad is flavored like Costa Rican food. Simply delicious.
Caribbean Rice Salad is like a taste of the islands. Photo by Apryl Donovan.
Caribbean Rice Salad
This Caribbean Rice Salad is another Moosewood Restaurant recipe, delicious, of course! It comes from a Mother's Day gift from Erin, Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. It uses several spices, sweet potatoes, rice, beans and tomatoes to create a wonderful main dish salad.
Visit Costa Rica
This Rice and Beans Salad reminds me of being in Costa Rica, which is where Don and I are right now, on vacation, getting warm and relaxing. This is the third time we have been to Costa Rica. We love the food, the weather, the mountains, the ocean and, of course, the people.
We have seen lots beautiful plants, hundreds of humming birds and other birds, howler monkeys just hanging around the trees by the pool, white faced monkeys scrambling down from the trees to our boat (one sat on my shoulder!), and lots of spectacular sunsets.
Caribbean Rice Salad (Moosewood recipe). Flavorful. Quick. Easy. Photo courtesy of Apryl Donovan.
Central American food is often a blend of rice and beans with different spices and fruits added to it to change the flavor. It seems to be a delectable mix of Hispanic, African, and Caucasian cooking, and this Caribbean Rice Salad incorporates the best blend of ingredients. Try it with my Spinach and Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing. When you make it, please let me know if you like it.
What You Need
I have lots of Moosewood cookbooks and I love them all. I suggest you buy one or two. For this recipe you will need a knife, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, and some good pans. Do yourself a favor and buy the best you can afford.
Caribbean Rice Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 ½ cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon diced jalapenos canned
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated lime peel
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced yellow, green or red bell peppers
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked black beans 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- 1 avocado cut into small cubes
- Thinly sliced rounds of lime
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot big enough to boil your rice.
- Add the paprika and turmeric and heat for about 5 minutes.
- Sauté the rice in the oil for a few minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
- If the rice is not done, add more water and continue to cook until rice is tender.
- Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, until just tender.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, whisk together the garlic, jalapenos, lime peel, lime juice, orange juice, ginger root, allspice and salt.
- Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, scallions and black beans.
- Toss well.
- Fluff the cooked rice and let cool for a few minutes.
- Stir the rice into the other veggie mixture.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve garnished with avocado cubes and lime rounds.
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