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5.0 from 12 votes

Warm Christmas Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Seeds

With sweet squash, salty feta, crunchy pistachios and fruity pomegranate seeds, this Warm Christmas Rice Salad is a real crowd-pleaser. It's quick and easy to make too - perfect for festive entertaining. Plus the leftovers make an envy-inducing paced lunch the next day! (Serves 4 to 8, depending on whether this is served as a main course or side dish.)

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 575 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 500 g butternut squash (roughly half a large butternut squash) peeled and chopped into 1cm / ½inch cubes
  • salt and pepper
  • 300 g mix of wild and long grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or just regular olive oil if you don’t have extra virgin)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons mint chopped
  • 100 g pomegranate seeds
  • 50 g pistachio kernels
  • 100 g feta crumbled

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
  2. Drizzle a roasting tray with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the butternut squash cubes into the roasting tray and turn in the oil. Make sure the butternut squash is spread out in 1 layer. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.  Put the butternut squash in the oven for about 20 minutes until soft.
  3. Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions and then drain the rice thoroughly.
  4. When the squash and rice are ready, tip the rice into the squash tray. (Be sure the rice is thoroughly drained before you do this.) Squeeze the lemon juice into the tray and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon).
  5. Add roughly half the chopped mint, pomegranate seeds, pistachio kernels and crumbled feta and mix everything together. Turn out onto a serving platter and scatter with the remaining mint, seeds, pistachios and feta.

Notes

  • Not suitable for freezing.
  • Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Information

Calories 575kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 80g (27%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 22mg (7%) Sodium 291mg (12%) Potassium 977mg (28%) Fiber 9g (36%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 13565IU (271%) Vitamin C 30.3mg (34%) Calcium 218mg (22%) Iron 3.2mg (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 575

% Daily Value*

Calories 575kcal 29%
Carbohydrates 80g 27%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 291mg 12%
Potassium 977mg 21%
Fiber 9g 36%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 13565IU 271%
Vitamin C 30.3mg 34%
Calcium 218mg 22%
Iron 3.2mg 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.