Ohhh yes 🍚🥗 Rice Salad—fresh, colorful, filling, and super versatile. Perfect as a side or light main. Here’s a classic, crowd-pleasing version you can tweak however you like.
🍚🥗 Classic Rice Salad
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
- 3 cups cooked rice (cooled; white, jasmine, basmati, or brown)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet corn (canned or cooked)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
- Optional add-ins: olives, bell peppers, feta cheese, chickpeas, avocado
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or red wine)
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp honey or Dijon mustard
Instructions
1️⃣ Cook & cool rice
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Spread out to cool completely (prevents mushy salad).
2️⃣ Mix salad
- In a large bowl, combine rice, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, corn, herbs, and any add-ins.
3️⃣ Make dressing
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and optional honey/mustard.
4️⃣ Combine & chill
- Pour dressing over salad and toss gently.
- Chill 20–30 minutes for best flavor.
5️⃣ Serve
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Pro Tips
- Cold rice is key—warm rice absorbs dressing too fast.
- Flavor boost: add garlic powder or lemon zest.
- Make it a meal: add grilled chicken, shrimp, or tuna.
- Storage: keeps well in the fridge up to 3 days.
🔥 Popular Variations
- 🌮 Mexican rice salad (lime, cilantro, black beans, corn)
- 🧀 Mediterranean rice salad (feta, olives, cucumber)
- 🥭 Tropical rice salad (pineapple, mango, lime)
- 🌶️ Spicy rice salad (chili oil, scallions, sesame)
If you want a specific style, tell me the vibe and I’ll dial it in 😏
