Picnic-Ready Rice Salad with Kale, Figs, and Almonds

We bet that you’re as jazzed up as we are to be outside again, especially this Memorial Day weekend, enjoying picnics at the park and road trips with the family. We came up with this recipe specially for celebrating outdoor dining: Picnic-Ready Rice Salad with Kale, Figs, and Almonds.

Whether you’re doing wine on the patio, a picnic with the kids, or a lunch at the beach, this dish is great for taking outdoors. It holds up well to travel and can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature. And best of all, it’s like a complete meal-in-a-bowl, chockfull of wholesome nuts, dried fruits, and heart-healthy kale. We used brown rice for the grain because it has a slightly sweet taste and great chewy texture, but feel free to use whatever grains you’ve got—quinoa, wild rice, orzo, or small pasta shapes are great sub-ins.

Enjoy this Mediterranean-inspired recipe this spring season. And happy outdoor dining this Memorial Day weekend!

Ingredients

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice (may substitute quinoa, white rice, wild rice, or pasta)

• 4 tablespoons The Olive Press Limonato Olive Oil, divided

• 4 cups coarsely chopped kale (from about 1 small bunch)

• ½ cup chopped almonds

• ½ cup chopped figs

• 2 tablespoons The Olive Press White Balsamic Vinegar

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• ½ to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, to taste, for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add rice (or other substituted grains) and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until rice is done but not terribly soft, about 30 to 45 minutes (If the grains are cooked too well-done, they will get mushy and fall apart when you toss this later). Drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add kale and cook until bright green and softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add reserved kale, almonds, figs, vinegar, and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the rice; toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve warm or refrigerate to enjoy chilled later. Just before serving, top with crumbled feta cheese and mix gently.