Description
This Italian Rice Salad is a vibrant, refreshing dish perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner. Combining cold cooked rice with fresh baby plum tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cucumber, sweetcorn, and fresh basil, all tossed in a tangy homemade dressing of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Ready in just 10 minutes, it’s a simple, flavorful salad with Mediterranean flair.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Salad
- 250 g cooked rice, cold (pack of microwave rice used)
- 200 g baby plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 red onion, diced
- 100 g black olives, halved
- 100 g cucumber, diced
- 200 g sweetcorn, cooked and cooled
- 20 g fresh basil, sliced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, finely chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cold cooked rice, quartered baby plum tomatoes, diced red onion, halved black olives, diced cucumber, cooked and cooled sweetcorn, and sliced fresh basil. Gently toss the ingredients together.
- Add the dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture. Toss everything carefully to ensure the dressing evenly coats all the ingredients.
- Serve: Spoon the salad onto a serving platter or divide into individual bowls. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed, then serve immediately or chill briefly for a cooler salad.
Notes
- Use cold, cooked rice to ensure the salad stays fresh and doesn’t become mushy.
- You can substitute fresh oregano for dried oregano for a more aromatic flavor.
- For a vegan option, this recipe is already suitable without any modifications.
- This salad can be made a few hours in advance and refrigerated to let the flavors deepen.
- Feel free to add other Mediterranean ingredients like artichoke hearts or roasted peppers for variety.
