This easy and flavorful rice salad packed with fresh vegetables, mayo, and jasmine rice is a delicious addition to any meal. It's the perfect cold salad to make ahead of time and enjoy throughout the week and is sure to be a hit at any gathering.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This Italian rice salad is a great way to use up leftover jasmine rice and create a delicious meal that is loaded with flavorful vegetables.
The combination of bell peppers, red onion, parsley, grape tomatoes, and shredded carrots adds a fresh crunch to the salad and gives it lots of color and flavor. The mayo adds a creamy element that ties the whole dish together, and a pinch of salt and pepper finishes off this delicious salad.
It's also incredibly versatile and can be served as a side dish to any meal or as part of the main course. It's great for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack.
The ingredients are minimal, and it doesn't require too much effort to make, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.
Salad recipes are a great way to get more vegetables in your diet, and this rice salad recipe is a great example, just like our broccoli salad, vegetable chicken bulgur salad, and tomato, basil, & mozzarella salad. They're healthy, nutritious, and delicious!
So if you're looking for an easy-to-make salad that will be a hit with everyone and can be enjoyed as a side dish or main course, this rice salad is the perfect option.
🍽 Key Ingredients
With only a few ingredients required and no cooking equipment to make this delicious salad, you'll have dinner on the table in no time.
Cooked jasmine rice - You'll need perfect jasmine rice to make this dish. Leftover cooked rice is best as this will save you so much time in the kitchen.
Bell peppers - Diced red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper add color and sweetness to the salad.
Red onion - Red onions are slightly sweeter than white or green onions, and the luminous purply red color adds vibrancy to the dish.
Fresh parsley - Chopped parsley adds a pleasant earthy flavor and freshness to this salad.
Grape tomatoes - Grape tomatoes are small and sweet, giving the salad a nice burst of flavor.
Carrots - Shredded carrots add a hint of sweetness to the salad.
Mayonnaise - Mayo adds creaminess and helps hold the salad together.
Salt and pepper - Lastly, a pinch of seasoning to enhance the flavors.
Substitutions
White rice
Any type of long-grain rice will do for this recipe as long as it isn't stodgy. Basmati rice or wild rice are good options. A nutty brown rice salad is just as amazing.
Fresh herbs
If you don't have parsley, cilantro, mint, or fresh basil are great substitutes.
Additions
- Black olives
- Sweet corn
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Tofu
🔪 How to make
To make this tasty rice salad, all you need to do is chop the salad ingredients into small pieces and mix them with the mayo and jasmine rice. That's it! The beauty of this salad is that you can adjust the amounts of each ingredient to your own taste.
Preparations
- Get a mandolin or box grater and grate the carrots into a large bowl.
- Dice the bell peppers, red onion, and tomatoes. Add them to the mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the fresh parsley and add it to the large bowl along with the cooked rice and mayo.
- Mix everything together with your hands or a large spoon and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate the bowl for 30 minutes before serving.
💭 Cooking tips
Dry rice
If you're not using leftover rice, make sure the cooked rice is completely soft, drained well, and cold before mixing it into the salad.
Chilled salad
For the best taste and texture, chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will help the flavors meld, and the salad will have a better consistency.
📖 Recipe Variations
This Italian Rice Salad is so versatile that you can switch it up with different vegetables and herbs.
Try some of these variations:
Spicy rice salad
If you like your food spicy, add 1 or 2 sliced deseeded jalapenos or 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a kick of spice.
Asian rice salad
For an Asian twist, add 1 tablespoon of tamari sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, and ½ cup of pine nuts. Swap the parsley for cilantro and the red onions for green onions.
Tuna rice salad
For an even heartier meal, add 1 can of tuna, 1 can of corn kernels, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the salad.
🥗 What to serve with
This Rice Salad is delicious on its own, but it can also be served with grilled fish or chicken. Try serving it with a bit of bread or a sandwich. Here are a few tasty suggestions:
Bread
Soft parmesan and herb focaccia are one of the best combinations with this salad. It's also delicious with a crusty baguette, garlic bread, or even pita bread.
Sandwiches
BLT grilled cheese, pulled BBQ chicken sandwich, or the classic ham and cheese are all good options to pair with this salad. If you want to keep it healthy, try quinoa burger for a delicious twist.
Fish
Grilled or boiled fish is another option to serve on the side of this cold salad. Try the Asian rice salad variation with broiled salmon with honey and soy for the perfect combo, or go for seared tuna with lemon capers sauce.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Can rice salad be frozen?
No, this salad doesn't freeze well. The consistency of the mayonnaise will change upon thawing, and the once crisp vegetables will become limp and horrible.
What can I use instead of mayonnaise?
For the best rice salad, USE mayonnaise, but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, you can use Greek yogurt or sour cream instead.
🧊 Storing
This simple rice salad tastes better and better every day, so if you have any leftovers, just know that it's a good thing!
Fridge - Store any leftover rice salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
🍳 Related recipes
Try some of these recipes to put a new spin on old favorites.
👪 Serving size
This Italian Rice Salad recipe makes 4 to 6 servings. Seen as the recipe takes minutes to prepare with minimal ingredients, it could easily be scaled to suit your needs.
This Italian rice salad is guaranteed to be a hit with everyone! With its flavorful combination of vegetables and high-quality jasmine rice, it's the perfect side dish or main course. And with its minimal ingredients and easy preparation, it's an ideal meal for busy weeknights. Give it a try today!
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Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Jasmine rice - cook like how to cook jasmine rice-interlink
- ½ cup Red bell pepper - diced
- ½ cup Yellow bell pepper - diced
- ¼ cup Red onion - diced
- ⅓ cup Parsley - chopped
- ¼ cup Grape tomato - diced
- 2 medium sized Carrot - shredded
- ½ cup Mayo
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Get a mandolin or box grater and grate the carrots into a large bowl.
- Dice the bell peppers, red onion, and tomatoes. Add them to the mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the fresh parsley and add it to the large bowl along with the cooked rice and mayo.
- Mix everything together with your hands or a large spoon and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate the bowl for 30 minutes before serving.
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