Black Rice Salad with Raw and Roasted Vegetables, Feta Cheese and Oregano-Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• ¾ cup black rice, cooked, about 2 cups
• ½ cup red onion, 1/3" slices
• 1 medium zucchini, or 1/2 yellow, 1/2 green, 1/3" batonnetes
• ½ medium orange pepper, 1/3" slices
• 7 medium asparagus spears, peeled
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed, 1" lengths
• 1 cup lacinato kale, trimmed, thinly sliced
• ½ cup baby cucumber, diced
• 3 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup micro greens, or sprouts
• 1 cup feta cheese, 1/2 " cubes
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 recipe oregano-citrus vinaigrette*

Instructions

1. Make the Oregano-Citrus Vinaigrette. When rice has cooked, but still warm - toss with 3 T. of the vinaigrette to boost it's flavor in a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the vegetables to a rimmed pan to fit - onion, zucchini, pepper and asparagus and toss with 2 t. olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Cut them into bite sized pieces, add to the rice bowl.
2. Add 1 T. of vinaigrette to the sliced kale, message in with your fingers, add to the rice bowl. Add the other raw vegetables to the rice bowl; green beans, cucumbers, scallions and micro greens. Toss the feta cubes with the chopped dill, add to the bowl.
3. Toss the salad with 1/2 of the reserved vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate the salad to blend the flavors, at least 1 hour. Serve with some extra vinaigrette and enjoy.

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.