AVOCADO PILAFF SALAD, Vegetarian Main, Vegan

Each mouthful a taste sensation...includes Balsamic Vinaigrette

Avocado Pilaff Salad, perfect for the glut of supermarket avocados

Originally posted 2015; updated may 2016

67goingon50 has made the hot version of this wonderful rice and avocado dish many times, usually in the winter when avocados are a little hard and need cooking to soften.  With multiple layers of flavour and texture, the pilaff has the savoury softness of beautifully cooked rice, the butteriness of avocado, tantalising vegetable bites and the gentle waxy crunchiness of pine nuts. No wonder Avocado Pilaff is a favourite vegetarian main course.  

Supermarkets are well stocked with avocados right now (May 2019) but while well-priced, there's quite a bit of hanging about waiting for them to be ready.  And then sometimes finding they're past their best! The pilaff is a great solution.

67 adapted the original recipe (from Robert Carrier) to make an impressive whole meal salad.  

The rice is flavoured with a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette but a white wine vinegar/lemon juice and Dijon mustard vinaigrette is also good.    

The only expensive ingredient is pine nuts but sunflower seeds can be used instead.  It will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Feeds: 6
Cost: £3.50

Ingred:
    8 oz/225 g long-grain, pref Basmati white rice
    4 tbsp sherry, white wine or grape juice
    1 1/4 pints/700 ml good stock,     
    4 tbsp finely chopped red onion
    1 stalk celery, peeled, finely chopped
    2 oz/50 gms pine nuts or sunflower seeds    
    4 oz/100g button mushrooms, sliced
    1/2 tsp grated garlic
    4 oz/100 gm fresh tomatoes, de-seeded & in 1/4-1/2 inch (1/2-1 cm) dice 
    1 ripe avocado pear
     lemon juice
     salt & pepper
  
Method:

1. Prepare and cook rice as in Foolproof White Rice.
2. When rice is cooked, decant into a large dish, squashing any lumps.  Pour over enough vinaigrette to flavour but not swamp the rice.  Leave to cool at least 20 minutes.
3. Heat a frying pan over med-high heat.  Add pine nuts; toss until fragrant and slightly brown (3-5 mins). Be careful; they burn easily. Pour onto a plate and set aside to cool.  
4. Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with olive oil and add mushrooms. When mushrooms are half done, add juice of half a lemon and garlic.  Continue cooking until liquid is gone.  Set aside to cool.
5. Spray tomatoes liberally with good olive oil and salt lightly, stirring so that all the pieces are seasoned.
6. Peel avocados and cut into good-sized dice. Coat liberally with lemon juice, tossing so that each piece is coated and does not go brown. Salt lightly and add pepper.
7. Add onions and celery to rice.  Stir to blend.  Add mushrooms.  Stir.  Add tomatoes and pine nuts.  Stir well.  Add avocado pieces.  Mix carefully.
8. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to allow flavours to blend.  
9. Serve at room temperature.    

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
     6-8 tbsp good olive oil
     2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
     good pinch salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, pref. coarsely ground
     2 rounded tsp wholegrain mustard
     1/2 tsp sugar, honey or maple syrup (opt)

OR 

French Vinaigrette
    6-8 tbsp good olive oil
    2 tbsp lemon juice/white wine vinegar/cider vinegar
    good pinch salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, pref coarsely ground
    2 rounded tsp Dijon mustard

Pour all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until thick and blended. Check seasoning.

Tip: to make this go further, stir in rinsed drained chickpeas or diced firm tofu

More vegetarian/vegan on NavBar: Recipes II

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Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.