Brown Rice Salade Nicoise

From: "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way" by Lorna Sass. "Chewy, easy-to-love short-grain brown rice makes an appealing grain base for a salad containing many of the elements of a traditional salade nicoise. The tuna and its soaking oil become a major part of the dressing, coating each grain with the savor of the sea." *Time does not include time to cook rice and green beans.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup red onion, minced
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1 (6 ounce) can tuna in olive oil, undrained
• 3  cups  cooked short-grain brown rice or 3  cups cooked barley or 3  cups  cooked  cracked farro
• 1  small red bell peppers or 1  small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1⁄3 cup  pitted oil-cured black olive, chopped
• 2  tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed and minced
• 1 -3  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 -2  tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 2  tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley or 2  tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
• 2  teaspoons  fresh  lemon thyme, chopped (optional)
•  salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 6  cups romaine lettuce, loosely packed and shredded
•  radicchio, shredded and mixed with romaine (optional)
• 1  lb fresh green beans, trimmed and steamed and cooled
• 4  hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the red onion and vinegar. Set aside to soak for at least 10 minutes.
2. Empty the tuna and oil into a large bowl. Flake tuna with a fork.
3. Add cooked brown rice, bell pepper, olives, and capers.
4. Stir in the onion and any unabsorbed vinegar.
5. Add lemon juice, lemon zest (if using), olive oil (if using), parsley, thyme (if using), and salt and pepper to taste.
6. To serve, place a bed or lettuce and radicchio (if using) on each plate and spoon the salad on top.
7. Arrange green beans and eggs alongside.