Italian Salads Recipes - Rice Salad with Olives and Tomatoes (Insalata al Fresco) Recipe

Ingredients

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup arborio rice

• 1 onion, thinly sliced into rings

• 45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

• 30 ml/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 5 ml/1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar

• 3 stoned (pitted) black olives, chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped

• 4 mint leaves, chopped

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Method:

1. Cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until just cooked but still with texture.

2. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Turn into a bowl.

3. Meanwhile, cook the onion in the oil gently for 3 minutes until softened.

4. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, olives and some salt and pepper and simmer very gently for 5 minutes.

5. Pour the hot onion mixture over the rice, add the tomatoes and mint. Toss and serve straight away.