Italian Rice and Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice, preferably brown basmati
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans or 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini*
• 1/3 cup red onion, sliced into thin rings and quartered
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium Roma tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigianno Reggiano cheese

Directions

Reheat the rice until just warmed through. Pour the warm rice in a mixing bowl and add all ingredients except for 1 tablespoon of the julienned basil and half of the grated cheese. Toss thoroughly.

Let the mixture sit anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour. Serve topped with the remaining basil and grated cheese and an extra crack of pepper.

Serves 4.

*pepperoncini, pepperoncino (pep-per-awn-CHEE-nee) – Also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers, and golden Greek peppers. The Italian varieties, grown in the Tuscany region of Italy, tend to be more bitter than their Greek counterparts. The more popular Greek varieties are sweeter and commonly found in pizzerias tossed in salads for a crunchy, salty taste. They have a bushy plant that grows to 30 inches tall and producing sweet green peppers that turn red when mature. Usually picked at 2 to 3 inches long, these bright red, wrinkled peppers taper to a blunt, lobed end and are very popular for pickling. These peppers are mild and sweet with a slight heat to them, and are commonly jarred for use in Greek salads and salad bars.