Rice Salad

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This Rice Salad is filled with fresh Mexican flavors and lots of good for you veggies. Have it as a side dish or add some protein to serve it as a main dish!

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This rice salad tastes like summer!

Let’s have a moment together, shall we?

Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than fresh vegetables combined with a hearty ingredient like rice.

The low fat salad dressing used in this Rice Salad recipe is perfect to enhance all the the other flavors. Add some grilled shrimp or chicken and you’ll have a complete meal!

In my mind, a nice cold rice salad serves one of two scenarios:

• Attending a picnic, potluck, or other summer get together when you need to bring a side dish;
• Addressing the leftover meat, cheese, and vegetables in my fridge and making them into a meal that I pretty much want to eat 24/7.

This delicious cold salad will do both for ya.

Ingredients

• The main ingredient is the rice and for this recipe we’ll use long-grain white rice. Water and a dash of salt for cooking.
• For the dressing we’ll use lime zest plus the juice of 1.5 limes (about 2 TBSP), extra-virgin olive oil, honey, minced garlic and ground cumin.
•  The veggies are cherry tomatoes, fresh jalapeño, avocado, and my favorite: fresh cilantro.

Let’s Make Mexican Cold Rice Salad!

Since it’s summer, we’re keeping kitchen time to a minimum. We’re making this rice salad to share with friends, family, neighbors, post office workers, daycare providers—basically anyone who can grab a fork quickly. Let’s get started!

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and return to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 18 to 20 minutes
3. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Then spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Let rice cool completely then transfer to a large bowl.
4. To make the dressing: On a separate bowl, whisk the oil, honey, garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, lime zest and remaining lime juice.
5. Drizzle the dressing over the rice.
6. Add the tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss to combine.
7. Taste for salt & pepper and add more if needed.
8. When ready to serve top with chopped cilantro (optional)

My other favorite rice recipe is of course my Mexican Rice. I hope you give both a try!

How many people does 1 cup of raw rice feed?

1 Cup of raw rice would feed 4 people as a side dish and 2 people as a main dish. The portion sizes at this distribution would be fair and adequate.  

For this recipe the calories count is for four servings as a side dish. As a main you would normally include some form of protein such as shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, or tofu.

Cold Rice Salad Recipe

This Cold Rice Salad is filled with fresh Mexican flavors and good for you veggies. Have it as a side dish or add some protein to serve it as a main dish!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 cups

Calories: 180kcal

Author: Ana Frias

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup raw long-grain white rice
• ▢ 2 cups water + ⅛ teaspoon - just a dash of kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• ▢ 1 large garlic clove
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus the juice of 1.5 limes - about 2 TBSP
• ▢ 8 oz cherry tomatoes - halved
• ▢ 1 small jalapeño - stemmed, seeded and minced
• ▢ 1 avocado - cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• ▢ ⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
• ▢ Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and return to a boil over medium-high heat.
  1 cup raw long-grain white rice, 2 cups water + ⅛ teaspoon
• Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 18 to 20 minutes
• Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Then spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Let rice cool completely then transfer to a large bowl.
• To make the dressing: On a separate bowl, whisk the oil, honey, garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, lime zest and remaining lime juice.
  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons honey, 1 large garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus the juice of 1.5 limes
• Drizzle the dressing over the rice.
• Add the tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss to combine.
  8 oz cherry tomatoes, 1 small jalapeño, 1 avocado, ⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
• Taste for salt & pepper and add more if needed.
  Salt & Pepper to taste
• When ready to serve top with chopped cilantro (optional)

Notes

• Spreading the cooked rice on a baking sheet to will prevent the rice from sticking together. Do not skip this step! 
• This salad can be make ahead for up to two days. Eat cold or at room temperature.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cups | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 876mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g

**This post was originally published on Aug 2018. It has been updated to be more helpful.

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