There is nothing better than a flavoursome rice salad as a main course for your meal on a warm summer day, nothing! The whole Italian peninsula is full of recipes for rice salads, my favourites come from the regions in central Italy where their rich rural culture uses whole grains like spelt and barley which add great texture to the dish.

This recipe takes inspiration from that regiona and uses Riso Gallo’s 3 grain to create an amazing salad of Italian rice, spelt and barley. The pairing of the ingredients follow a traditional Roman salad made with fresh broad beans, pecorino cheese, and mint, making it a very seasonal, light and zingy dish.

This ‘3 grain’ recipe is great as a starter, full of the freshness of the broad beans, peas and fresh herbs, but also very good as a vegetarian main course with good carbs from spelt and barley and protein from the chickpeas. Strive for fresh peas and broad beans but you can save time by getting frozen peas and broad beans ready to boil. If you have time use dry chickpeas, soak them overnight and simmer the following day. Alternatively, a canned chickpeas are fine.

This recipe is so easy to make, it only takes 30 minutes, and can be prepared hours in advance, stored in the fridge until ready to use, just make sure it is at room temperature when served.

Rice type: 3 grain
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins