Serves 8 to 10
Make this with whole grains such as brown rice, spelt, or barley if you prefer. Increase the cooking time for these grains and cook them long enough to be tender to the bite.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 1 lb (2 2/3 cups) Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, plus more as needed
- 6 oz ham, diced (see Recipe note)
- 6 oz Emmentaler cheese, diced
- 1/4 cup diced marinated red or yellow peppers
- 8 oil-packed artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
- 1/4 cup diced marinated mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced cornichons
- 2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons slivered pitted black olives, such as Taggiasche or Niçoise
- 3 tablespoons slivered pitted green olives, such as Picholine or Sicilian
- 8 brined pearl onions, drained and cut in half (or quarters, if large)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice all at once and stir well to separate the grains. Continue to cook the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is tender to the bite, about 12 minutes for Carnaroli rice and 14 minutes for Arborio rice. Drain the rice through a wire-mesh sieve and spread it out in an even layer in a baking dish to cool to room temperature.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the rice and toss to coat evenly. Add the ham, cheese, peppers, artichokes, mushrooms, cornichons, capers, olives, and onions. Toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. The salad can be made ahead to this point and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Just before serving, taste the salad and season with additional lemon juice or salt, if needed. Top with chopped eggs and serve.
Recipe note: You can replace the ham we suggest here with 6 ounces of oil-packed tuna that you’ve drained and flaked.
