Exotic rice salad

 Exotic rice salad

Exotic rice salad is perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. Fresh, light, thirst-quenching and colorful, this unique dish features lots of fresh fruit. An easy recipe to try right away!

INGREDIENTS

• 300 g of Carnaroli rice
• 3 slices of fresh pineapple
• 300 g of precooked shrimps
• 1 papaya
• ½ melon
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 avocado
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Rice salad is the ultimate summer dish. Simple to prepare, you can customize it with an infinite number of ingredients, as in this exotic rice salad, which not only recalls the summer, but makes us imagine we are catapulted into a tropical beach. An easy recipe and at the same time creative, thanks to the fresh mix of shrimp, pineapple, papaya, avocado and melon. 

For less classic combinations, in fact, rice can be combined with shellfish and fruit as in rice salad, shrimp and green apples or mix with meat and spices as in rice salad and chicken with ginger and saffron.

In any case, in order for a rice salad to be successful, the secret is one: rice grains must have a good consistency even after cooking and they must not stick together. There are many varieties that have these characteristics: for this dish we have chosen a white rice, such as Carnaroli, but Venus rice is also an excellent alternative, as in Venus rice salad. 

The first thing to do to prepare the exotic rice salad is to cook the rice. Boil it in abundant boiling salted water for the time indicated on the package. Drain it al dente and place it on a clean cloth to cool. In the meantime, take care of the fruit: peel and remove the seeds and filaments from the melon and papaya and cut the pulp into chunks.

Cut the pineapple into chunks and season with a little freshly ground pepper. Peel the avocado, cut the flesh into cubes, put it in a bowl and season with a tablespoon of oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. When the rice is cold, transfer it to a serving plate (or salad bowl).

Compose the exotic rice salad by adding the shrimp first. Drizzle with three tablespoons of oil and the remaining lemon juice and toss. Then add the fruit: pineapple, papaya, melon and avocado and toss again. The exotic rice salad is ready to serve.