Black Venus Rice Salad

Black Venus rice salad is a tasty and healthy dish, perfect for a light yet complete meal. Here is a basic recipe that you can personalize according to your tastes or based on what you have in the pantry.

Ingredients

• 250 g of Black Venus rice
• 100 g of cherry tomatoes
• 70 g of corn
• 150 g of canned tuna (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 100 g of green beans
• Taggiasca or black olives, pitted
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Lemon juice or balsamic vinegar for dressing

Preparation

1. Cook the Black Venus rice in plenty of salted water following the package instructions (generally about 45 minutes), as it takes longer to cook than white rice.
2. Meanwhile, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. If you are using tuna, drain it from the oil. Wash and dice the bell pepper and zucchini. Clean and cook the green beans in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then drain and cut into small pieces.
3. In a pan with a drizzle of oil, briefly sauté the zucchini to make it tastier, if you prefer a softer texture.
4. Once the rice is ready, drain it and cool it under running water to stop the cooking and to make the grains well separated.
5. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled rice with the cherry tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, zucchini, green beans, olives, and tuna (if you decide to include it).
6. Dress with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, according to your taste.
7. Mix well all the ingredients and let them marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This salad is very versatile, and you can add other ingredients as you like, such as capers, fresh basil, diced feta cheese, or nuts for a crunchy touch.

Curiosity

Black Venus rice is an Italian whole-grain rice originally from Piedmont, known for its natural black color and nutritional properties. It is rich in anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants which give it its characteristic dark hue.