Hello lovelies, when summer calls for something fresh and colourful that still fills you up, this black rice salad with mango comes to our table. Black rice – you'll also find it as Venere rice or "forbidden rice" – is my secret favourite: it tastes nutty, keeps a lovely bite, and that deep purple-black next to the orange mango cubes simply looks stunning. Everyone at the table really does look twice.
Alongside the rice, the tempeh is the heart of this salad. I cut it into cubes, let it soak briefly in teriyaki sauce and then fry it in sesame oil until properly crispy – that's what gives the salad its savoury side and, as a bonus, plenty of protein. Then in go red pepper for colour, spring onions for a gentle bite, chopped cashews for crunch and lots of fresh coriander.
Black rice and tempeh
Black rice is a wholegrain, so it takes a little longer than white rice – count on around 30 to 35 minutes. In return it holds its colour and never turns to mush. Tempeh, meanwhile, is a fermented soybean cake and therefore much firmer and nuttier than tofu; it soaks up the teriyaki marinade like a little sponge and turns beautifully crispy in the pan.
Everything is brought together by a dressing of soy sauce, sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, lime juice and freshly grated ginger. Sweet, salty, sour and savoury – all in one spoonful. If you like more heat, stir in a dash of sriracha. And then it's into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so all the flavours can mingle. That's exactly why this salad is my meal-prep hero for the week.
Do give it a try – it comes together in no time, looks wonderful on any buffet and tastes almost better on day two. If you love cold salads from the Asian kitchen, have a look at my Soba noodle salad with peanut dressing, at the summery Vegan poke bowl with watermelon tuna and at my Mango-curry tartare if you need even more mango.
