Rice salad is a dish from the Italian tradition that cannot be missing from the tables during the summer season. Fresh and tasty, it is a dish that everyone loves and can be prepared in many different ways, with the ingredients you prefer and/or those you have available, because it is also a great “fridge-clearing” idea. In my recipe, I included olives, cooked ham, tuna, hard-boiled egg, capers, pickled onions, marinated mushrooms, hot dogs, peas, as well as vegetables like bell pepper and carrot. My mom’s version was quicker because she used pickled vegetable mix, whereas I opted for some fresh vegetables to boil. Great to enjoy immediately ready or chilled from the fridge on hot days.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 1 cup parboiled rice (ribe)
- 3.5 oz pizza mozzarella
- 2 oz cooked ham, high quality, lean
- 2 oz marinated mushrooms
- 1.7 oz pork hot dogs, cooked
- 1.7 oz red bell pepper (or yellow)
- 1.7 oz frozen peas
- 1.7 oz carrot
- 1.7 oz canned tuna in oil
- 0.8 oz green olives in brine
- 0.8 oz black olives in brine (pitted)
- 1 egg
- to taste pickled onions
- to taste pickled capers
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Pot
- Colander
- 3 Small Pots
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Salad Bowl
- Spoon
Steps
To prepare the rice salad…
First, heat water in a pot to cook the rice. When the water boils, add the rice and cook it for the minutes indicated on the package.
While the rice is cooking, wash the bell pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and cut it into cubes. Then peel the carrot and cut it into cubes or slices.
In a small pot, pour water and heat it up. When it boils, add the bell pepper, diced carrot, and frozen peas, and cook them for about 10/15 minutes from the resumption of boiling.
In another small pot, pour water, immerse the whole egg, put it on the heat, and cook it for 10/12 minutes from boiling. Continue preparing the other ingredients.
In the last small pot filled with water, immerse the hot dogs and cook them for about 5/10 minutes from boiling. Alternatively, you can cook them in a pan until golden brown.
In a bowl or salad bowl, add the capers, diced cooked ham (I had a thick slice cut), mozzarella, well-drained tuna in oil, pickled onions, whole or halved mushrooms, sliced olives, and sliced hot dogs once ready.
When the egg is cooked, after about 10/12 minutes, place the pot under running cold water and let it cool. Then gently peel it with your hands and cut it into four parts with a knife (you can also use an egg slicer). Set the egg aside as a final decoration.
Check the cooking of the peas, bell pepper, and carrot, then drain them well and add them to the other ingredients in the bowl.
After the rice cooking time, drain it well, run it under cold running water to stop the cooking, and drain it well again.
Lastly, add the rice to the salad bowl with the other ingredients, season with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well, garnish with the sliced egg, and the rice salad is ready to enjoy.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for 3/4 days. Do not freeze.
Store in an airtight container for 3/4 days. Do not freeze.
Notes
It may seem like a lot, but rice salad is never enough and can also be stored well in the fridge for a few days.
