Rice salad is a simple salad thrown together with whatever vegetables, proteins, herbs you enjoy eating with your rice. The ingredients are also mostly what you already use for other salads e.g. Nigerian vegetable salad, Sweetcorn salad.
It will work with most kinds of rice and also works perfectly with leftover rice. In fact, the first time I thought about rice salad I had leftover rice but wanted something light and nourishing. Then I remembered the Orzo Salad I ate some time ago which I enjoyed. I felt that should also work for rice.
This is an excellent dish for people who want something filling but not heavy, nutritionally dense but not filled with too many calories. You can change the proportion of rice to other ingredients, you can also add more proteins, vegetables or spices.
There is no need to boil fresh rice for a rice salad if you already have leftover rice. Season your rice while it is still warm so that it will absorb the flavours well. You can also add a dash of the broth of whatever else you are cooking e.g chicken, seafood.
You can make your salad ahead of time and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. It can be served cold or allowed to come back to room temperature before serving.
More ingredients for Simple Rice Salad
Celery, parsley, mushroom, sweet corn, chopped chicken, ham, shrimp, tuna, etc.
To Prepare Simple Rice Salad
2 cups cooked rice (cooled) salt 1/4 cup spring onions (scallions) 1/4 cup cubed carrot 1/4 cup kidney beans 1 medium tomato, deseeded, chopped 1 cup cubed cucumber with skin 1/4 cup sweet corn 1 boiled egg, chopped Dressing 1 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice salt Chilli powder honey or sugar Dressing 2 Mayonnaise Chilli powder salt Vinegar or lemon
Wash and chop Spring onions, carrot, tomato, cucumber and boiled egg.
Drain kidney beans and sweet corn, rinse and set aside.
Place rice in a large bowl and while still warm, add salt and some chilli powder. Mix well and leave to cool.
Add all other ingredients into the rice and mix thoroughly.
In a small bowl, mix the dressing and drizzle over your salad mix and serve.
Note
- If your rice is too starchy, rinse and drain to get rid of any remaining starch on the surface. Spread out on a tray to dry out. This step is optional.
If you enjoyed my Simple Rice salad, you will also enjoy my Sweetcorn salad, Chicken salad with candied carrot coins, Pasta salad, Macaroni salad and Nigerian vegetable salad.
Simple Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice (cooled)
- salt
- ¼ cup spring onions (scallions)
- ¼ cup cubed carrot
- ¼ cup kidney beans
- 1 medium tomato (deseeded, chopped)
- 1 cup cubed cucumber with skin
- ¼ cup sweet corn
- 1 boiled egg (chopped)
Dressing 1
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt
- Chilli powder
- honey or sugar
Dressing 2
- Mayonnaise
- Chilli powder
- salt
- Vinegar or lemon
Instructions
- Wash and chop Spring onions, carrot, tomato, cucumber and boiled egg.
- Drain kidney beans and sweet corn, rinse and set aside.
- Place rice in a large bowl and while still warm, add salt and some chilli powder. Mix well and leave to cool.
- Add all other ingredients into the rice and mix thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, mix the dressing and drizzle over your salad mix and serve.
Notes
- If your rice is too starchy, rinse and drain to get rid of any remaining starch on the surface. Spread out on a tray to dry out. This step is optional.
- More ingredients for Simple Rice Salad: Celery, parsley, mushroom, sweet corn, chopped chicken, ham, shrimp, tuna, etc.
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I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food...