Egyptian Herbed Rice and Vermicelli Salad

About This Recipe

Rice cooked with toasted vermicelli noodles — roz bel sha'reya — is one of the most common side dishes on an Egyptian dinner table, usually served warm alongside a main. This salad takes that same base and turns it into a room-temperature grain salad, tossed generously with parsley, mint, lemon and toasted nuts once the rice has cooled. The technique that defines this dish is toasting the vermicelli in butter or oil until deep golden brown before the rice and liquid go in — this is what gives roz bel sha'reya its distinctive nutty flavor, and skipping it leaves the dish tasting flat. Once cooked, spreading the rice out to cool quickly (rather than leaving it covered in the pot) keeps the grains separate instead of clumping. Finished cold or at room temperature with a heavy hand of fresh herbs and a bright lemon dressing, this makes a great make-ahead side for a warm-weather table or a packed lunch.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 0.5 cupvermicelli noodles(broken into short pieces)
• 3 tbspbutter or olive oil(divided)
• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 3 cupswater or stock
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 cupparsley(chopped)
• 0.25 cupfresh mint(chopped)
• 0.33 cuptoasted almonds or pine nuts
• 3 tbsplemon juice
• 2 tbspolive oil(for the dressing)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the vermicelli

   Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat. Add vermicelli and toast, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until deep golden brown.

   Watch closely — vermicelli goes from golden to burnt in under a minute once it starts browning.

2. 2

   Cook the rice

   Add rice to the pot and stir to coat in the butter for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15-18 minutes until the water is absorbed.

3. 3

   Cool the rice

   Fluff the rice with a fork and spread it onto a large tray to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Make the dressing

   Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Toss and serve

   Transfer cooled rice to a large bowl. Add parsley, mint and toasted nuts, drizzle with dressing, and toss gently to combine.

Variations

• •

  Add protein: fold in shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked shrimp for a heartier main-dish salad.

• •

  Dried fruit: a handful of golden raisins adds a sweet contrast common in some regional versions.

• •

  Spicier: add a pinch of chili flakes to the dressing for extra heat.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature or add a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving, as the flavor mutes slightly when cold.

Frequently Asked Questions