Rice-And-Bean Salad

This rice and bean salad is about as no-frills as it gets, and that’s exactly why it works. Cooked long-grain rice, canned kidney beans, sauteed celery, red wine vinegar, and oil. Five minutes of active work and you’ve got a side dish that feeds eight.

Sauteing the celery before mixing it in softens its crunch just enough to blend with the tender rice while keeping some bite. Raw celery can dominate a salad like this with its sharpness, but a quick cook in oil mellows it into something that plays well with the earthy beans.

The dressing is barely a dressing: red wine vinegar, oil, salt, and a half teaspoon of sugar. That tiny bit of sugar takes the harsh edge off the vinegar without making anything taste sweet. It’s a classic old-school trick for simple vinaigrettes.

Toss everything while the rice is still warm. Warm rice absorbs the vinegar and oil far better than cold rice, so the flavors soak in instead of sitting on the surface.

Kitchen Tips

• Use long-grain rice for the best texture. Short-grain rice gets sticky and clumps together in a salad.
• Drain and rinse the canned kidney beans to remove excess sodium and the starchy liquid.
• This salad tastes good at room temperature and even better chilled the next day after the flavors have had time to meld.

Variations

• Herb boost: Toss in chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill for color and freshness.
• Black bean swap: Use black beans instead of kidney beans and add cumin and lime juice for a Southwestern spin.