Rayes Awesome Rice Salad

My dear friend Raye made this last year at our Annual Memorial Day Weekend gathering and I fell in love with it. I have made it since and gotten rave reviews. This recipe doubles easily. I like it even better the second day when the dressing has had a chance to absorb into the rice and veggies. I leave the olives out.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 1 bowl

Ingredients

• 4  cups cooked rice, still hot
• 1 (14 ounce) bottle  Bernsteins cheese fantastico salad dressing, plus more to taste
• 1⁄2 green bell pepper, julienned and then cut into 1/3 's
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, julienned and then cut into 1/3 's
• 3  green onions, diced finely
• 1  shallot, diced finely
• 1⁄2 red onion, diced finely
• 1 (5 3/4ounce) can black olives, diced finely
• 1⁄2 cup currants
• 5  ounces peas, blanched for 3 minutes
•  flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Pour 1/2 of a bottle of dressing over the hot rice and set aside to cool while you prep the vegetables.
2. Break up rice with your hands and mix in the prepped vegetables. Add remainder of first bottle of dressing.
3. Let sit until at room temperature. Add more dressing as needed so rice salad is moist not too dry.
4. It may be served at room temperature or cold.
5. Store in the refrigerator.