RICE SALAD with Tuna
The rice salad with Tuna is a great summer classic, those dishes we grew up with and despite everything we will never get tired of eating-
It is a tasty and fresh first course, an extremely versatile easy and quick recipe that can be customized to taste or considered as a fridge-clearer!
The Rice Salad with Tuna in its classic version is prepared with tuna in oil, cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, and olives, but variations with frankfurters, ham, boiled eggs, corn, pickles, and seasonal vegetables are not lacking.
The one we will prepare today is the Rice Salad with Tuna that my grandmother always brought me to the beach when I was a child, rich, super tasty but at the same time light, with a trick in the dressing that made it even better.
The main ingredients, apart from rice, are strictly in oil (never use the water-packed kind), tomatoes, cheese cubes, frankfurters, giardiniera (mixed pickles for rice salad), green olives, and cooked ham, although boiled eggs were served separately for those who wanted to add them … because I didn’t like them.
Rice Salad with Tuna is ideal in the beautiful season when it’s hot, both for lunch and dinner, it’s practical because it can be prepared in advance, indeed the next day it’s better because it’s tastier and it keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Even though it’s a very simple recipe to achieve a perfect result it’s important to follow some small tricks: choosing the right rice that holds the cooking and whose grains don’t stick together, cooking the rice until al dente and once drained and cooled under cold running water, it should be seasoned with two tablespoons of oil to ensure it stays well separated-
As for the ingredients, whatever you decide to use, it’s important they are cut into very small cubes to mix perfectly with the rice. Finally, add fresh elements like tomatoes, salad, or boiled eggs only at the time of serving.
For dressing, you have a wide choice: I always use extra virgin olive oil, salt, and my grandmother’s secret touch (find out what it is in the recipe!) but you can add a mix of fresh herbs, a few drops of vinegar, or lemon juice.
A cheerful, colorful, easy, and very versatile recipe that can be adapted to all tastes, the perfect cold dish to prepare in summer even in advance and keep in the fridge for several days, a first course that the whole family loves, including children.
If you love rice salads, try these
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 684.88 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 55.06 (g) of which sugars 3.89 (g)
- Proteins 34.80 (g)
- Fat 35.71 (g) of which saturated 10.58 (g)of which unsaturated 13.77 (g)
- Fibers 2.27 (g)
- Sodium 2,093.56 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup cups rice (Ribe, Arborio, Carnaroli)
- 7 oz canned tuna in oil
- 1 cup cups tomatoes
- 3.5 oz oz cooked ham
- 1 cup cups cheese (Edamer, Gruyère, mozzarella)
- 4 small frankfurters (small)
- 2.8 oz oz green olives (pitted)
- 5.3 oz oz giardiniera (mixed pickles, for rice salad)
- extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2 tablespoons tuna sauce (or mayonnaise, my grandmother's ingredient!)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pot
Steps
Place a pot with plenty of salted water on the stove and once it reaches a boil, pour in the rice and cook slightly al dente (about 2 minutes less than the cooking times indicated on the package).
Meanwhile, take care of the dressing: cook the frankfurters for a few minutes in a non-stick pan or on a grill and then cut them into pieces; wash the tomatoes, remove the stem, and cut them into cubes; also cut the cheese and cooked ham into cubes; drain the tuna from the preservation oil, and cut the mixed pickles into cubes as well.
When 2-3 minutes are left for the rice to cook, drain it and cool it under cold running water. Transfer it to a salad bowl, pour two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and mix. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
At this point, incorporate the other ingredients: the frankfurters, tomatoes, cheese, cooked ham, tuna, pitted olives, and giardiniera (mixed pickles or for rice salad).
Season with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of tuna sauce (my grandmother’s trick!), the store-bought kind is fine. Mix and cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. If not consumed within 1 hour, store it in the refrigerator.
Follow my Instagram profile by clicking HERE
NOTES
RICE To prepare a perfect rice salad with tuna, not just any rice will do. You need to choose a quality rice that holds cooking without overcooking, like Ribe, Arborio or Carnaroli rice. The amount of rice normally considered per person is about 80/100 g since there are many other ingredients.
FILLING Regarding the ingredients to add to the rice salad, it can be said that practically every family has its version. In any case, the most common ingredients for a classic Rice Salad with Tuna are: cheese, ham, tuna, tomatoes, and boiled eggs. Instead of ham, you can choose or add frankfurters or diced mortadella, for cheese you can opt for emmental or provola if you love stronger flavors, or mozzarella and primo sale if you prefer milder tastes. Among the vegetables, tomatoes are a must, but also popular are peas, peppers, and pickles. Whatever ingredient you choose, it’s important it is cut into small cubes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Rice quantities and cooking water for the rice salad
Rice should be cooked in plenty of salted water: normally an amount of water equal to 5 times the amount of rice to be cooked is considered. The amount of salt for each liter of water is about 8 g per liter.
