Who said that rice salad has to be a fridge-clearing dish? Sure… it often is, but you can also unleash your creativity and create some tailor-made combinations. The Mediterranean cold rice I propose today is one of my summer versions of a great classic. In this recipe, the cherry tomatoes are sautéed to enhance their sweetness, feta adds a creamy and savory note, while fresh basil gives the dish the summer fragrance we love so much. But the extra touch is in the toasted almond crumbs deglazed with balsamic vinegar: crunchiness and a slight sweet-and-sour contrast that make this salad anything but ordinary. And that’s not all… because there are also capers and Taggiasca olives that complete the ensemble with their intense flavor. In short, a fresh dish, perfect for a light dinner, a picnic, or a lunch by the beach; also perfect for the lunchbox to take to the office. And the best part is you can prepare it in advance, and it gets better with resting! Save the recipe for your next summer lunch and share it with those who love Mediterranean flavors!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for the Mediterranean cold rice
- 2 cups rice (Arborio or Roma)
- 9 oz cherry tomatoes (cherry or date)
- 1 clove garlic
- 3.5 oz feta cheese
- 0.7 oz almond crumbs
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1.4 oz Taggiasca olives
- 1 tablespoon capers in salt
- A few leaves basil
- 1 pinch brown sugar
- chili pepper (quantity to taste)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan medium
- 1 Pan small
- 1 Colander
- 1 Salad Bowl
Preparation of the Mediterranean cold rice
Cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water, drain it al dente (make sure, no mushy rice) and then immediately rinse it under cold running water to stop cooking and cool it down.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them by patting them with kitchen paper, and cut them into quarters and then into pieces.
In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil along with some chili pepper that can be adjusted to taste. Sauté a finely chopped clove of garlic. If you don’t like it, you can also leave it whole and remove it at the end of cooking.
Let it sizzle for a few moments, then add the cherry tomatoes and sauté them for a couple of minutes over high heat, stirring often. Then season with a generous pinch of salt and a pinch of brown sugar and continue cooking for another 3/4 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
Heat a small pan very well before adding the almond crumbs. Toast them quickly, then deglaze with balsamic vinegar and let it evaporate. Remove from the pan to avoid burning and set aside.
Transfer the now cold rice into a large salad bowl and add the cherry tomatoes with all their juice, crumbled feta, toasted almond crumbs, coarsely chopped Taggiasca olives, and desalinated capers.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and carefully mix everything to blend the ingredients well. Adjust salt if necessary.
Place the Mediterranean cold rice in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Enjoy! Paola
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