Cabbage & red rice salad with tahini dressing

This Middle Eastern inspired vegetarian side dish is full of contrasting textures – ideal paired with griddled prawns, chicken, fish or halloumi

200g red Camargue rice (we used red Camargue & wild rice from Waitrose), or use normal brown long-grain
350g firm, round cabbages, shredded
bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
zest and juice 1 large lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp tahini paste
100g Greek-style natural yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
50g dried cranberries or currants
2 tbsp pine nuts or a handful of walnut pieces
½ x 20g pack dill or parsley, roughly chopped

Cook the rice following pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the cabbage and spring onions in a large bowl with the lemon zest, half the lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and a good pinch of seasoning. Massage it all into the cabbage and set aside.
Whisk together the rest of the lemon juice and oil plus the honey, tahini, yogurt and garlic, then loosen with 2 tbsp water. Season to taste.
When the rice is tender, drain in a sieve, rinse briefly under the cold tap, then let it drain well. Tip the just-warm rice into the cabbage, adding most of the cranberries, nuts and herbs too. Now pour in most of the tahini dressing and mix. Pile onto a serving plate, then sprinkle with the remaining ingredients and drizzle with the final few spoonfuls of dressing and a slug more oil, if you like.