Italian Cold Rice Salad

I’m a huge fan of rice salads for summer! This easy Italian Cold Rice Salad recipe features fresh garden tomatoes and basil, sharp parmesan cheese, crisp romaine, and radicchio lettuce, and a simple Italian style dressing to pull it all together.

Italian Cold Rice Salad in a wooden bowl

 

ITALIAN COLD RICE SALAD

If you are wondering what you can add to rice to make it healthier, the answer is salad! This Italian style cold rice salad is a delicious side dish alongside some grilled protein or enjoy it as a light vegetarian lunch.

Italian Cold Rice Salad in a wooden bowl

 

INGREDIENTS FOR RICE WITH SALAD

The ingredient list for this dish is a summer garden spectacular.

  • romaine lettuce
  • radicchio
  • cherry tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes
  • fresh  basil
  • shallot (or red onion)
  • pepperoncini peppers
  • parmesan cheese – the real stuff! I insist!

tomatoes, lettuce, radicchio and a shallot on a cutting board

Meal prep tip! Always make extra grains or legumes. If you are cooking rice, quinoa, lentils you name it, make extra. It always comes in handy for dishes like this salad to have cooked rice ready to toss right in. 

cooked brown rice in a glass container

Fresh basil is my ABSOLUTE favorite fresh herb. It is total aromatherapy for me and I always stick my face right into the pant and breathe deeply.

So calming yet invigorating at the same time! 

fresh basil plant

 

pickled pepperoncini in a jar

 

IS RICE SALAD SAFE TO EAT?

100%! There can be trepidation due to bacteria worries but the key is not to leave the rice at room temperature. The rice must be kept refrigerated – which is what you want for rice with salad anyway!

Bonus. 

Italian Cold Rice Salad in a wooden bowl

 

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP RICE SALAD IN THE FRIDGE?

This rice salad recipe is great for meal prep as it keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Italian Cold Rice Salad in a wooden bowl

MORE COLD RICE SALAD RECIPES:

Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Brown Rice Tuna Salad

Cowboy Brown Rice Salad

Fiesta Brown Rice Salad

How to Cook Brown Rice – the easiest method ever!

Italian Cold Rice Salad in a wooden bowl

Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook, and posting pics to Instagram. See you there.  🙂

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week.

Save Recipe

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Honour System

Italian Cold Rice Salad

Sharon Rhodes
I'm a huge fan of rice salads for summer! This Italian Cold Rice Salad recipe features fresh garden tomatoes and basil, sharp parmesan cheese, crisp romaine, and radicchio lettuce, and a simple Italian style dressing to pull it all together.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Refrigerate 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 282 kcal

Ingredients
  

FOR THE SALAD

  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups chopped radicchio
  • 2 cups cold, cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup freshly chopped basil
  • 4 pepperoncini peppers
  • 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

FOR THE DRESSING

  • ¼ cup oil (olive, grapeseed, avocado)
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp mustard (grainy is best)
  • ¼ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp sugar (I use maple syrup)
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl add the salad ingredients except for the pepperoncini peppers and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
  • In a small mason jar add the ingredients for the dressing and shake it vigorously for about a minute to emulsify.
  • Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the mixing bowl and toss it well.
  • Cover the bowl and let the salad sit in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Serve the salad topped with a pepperoncini pepper and parmesan cheese.
  • Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4518IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Italian Cold Rice Salad, Rice with Salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

6 Comments

    1. Just sprinkle the salad with parmesan after you make it. This depends on personal taste but I like 1-2 tablespoons on my portion. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll add it to the ingredients list. 🙂

  1. Great idea to use up left over rice. This salad reads delicious. You have given me a great idea.Will bookmark your post Sharon…have a great day!

  2. 5 stars
    What?! I always have leftover rice in the fridge…this is such a great idea for a summer salad and I’m all about using up what’s in the fridge to make an even better dish!

5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.