Grape Leaves Salad (aka Deconstructed Dolmas Salad)
This week, a friend introduced me to the famous gourmet Middle Eastern and specialty food store Sahadis located in downtown Brooklyn. Now my sisters and I are addicted to the hummus and it got me thinking - but not too hard because it’s 100 degrees in New York - about what sort of Middle Eastern inspired dish I could make without generating too much heat or effort.
So here’s the result of my semi-effort. A very cool, very flavorful, very worthwhile summer salad with lots of veggies and grape leaves from a jar. Keep everything in the fridge (except the tomatoes - that’s bad!) before you start so it’s cold, and this is one of those salads that gets even better when it’s been chilling out in the fridge so the flavors mingle. Make the rice ahead of time, store in the fridge, enlist your friends with good knife skillz to chop, and the salad’s ready to go in a jiffy.
Like most of my recent summer posts, it’s perfect for a picnic or potluck. Just try not to get addicted.
Serves: 4 generously
Time: 30 minutes plus rice cooking time and at least an hour for the rice to cool
Rice
1 cup wild rice or wild rice & brown rice mix
Cook the rice according to the package directions. I cooked mine with 2 cups of water in a rice cooker. Love the rice cooker - it always makes the rice come out perfect. Keep the rice in the fridge until chilled.
Salad
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced small
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
2 1/2 cups chopped grape leaves (about 25 leaves)
1 small bunch mint, about 1/2 chopped
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, about 1 cup chopped
1 small bunch dill, about 1/2 cup chopped
feta cheese, crumbled. Optional.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas well and put into a large salad bowl. Add the diced cucumbers, quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped grape leaves and chopped herbs.
Dressing
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
Put all the dressing ingredients into a jar or small tupperware and shake until combined.
Add the chilled rice to the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over. Toss. Serve with feta cheese crumbled on top if desired.
August 3rd, 2006 09:10
One of my favorite Vanesscipes as of late! Anyone who likes dolmas will love this - plus it’s cool, filling and easy to make and carry.
August 4th, 2006 00:11
Hi Vanessa! I wanted to come over from Veggin Out and say hello. This rice sounds very good- YUM! Almost like another version of Tabouli. I love dolmades- we have a Greek festival every year and I always get them. The best were in Greece though!