Perfect rice salad, an easy recipe I often prepare during summer or on hotter days, without needing to wait for summer to arrive. A rich rice salad with lots of vegetables, tuna in oil, and hard-boiled eggs, enriched to my liking with sausages to make it really rich and tasty, one of those dishes you crave first with your eyes and then with your mouth. I’ve been preparing this rice salad since I was a teenager, always in the afternoon, when everyone was resting, and I, always hyperactive, would get ahead and prepare dinner before going to the countryside with my mom. It was such a joy to be useful and make the whole family happy; back then, we were a large family, with my 5 siblings, there was never a risk that something cooked would be left over, so I’d prepare 1 kg of rice salad and enrich it as best I could, adding all possible vegetables, eggs, tuna, sausages, and for the greediest, mayonnaise as well, even better if homemade like the quick recipe here Homemade Mayonnaise. So let’s see how to prepare the perfect rice salad.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Perfect Rice Salad Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice for salads
- 4 1/4 oz tuna in oil
- 3 pure pork sausages, cooked
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 3/4 oz arugula
- 1 3/4 oz green olives
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup corn, sweet, canned, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 3/4 oz rice salad dressing (optional)
- as needed olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed mayonnaise (optional)
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Salad Bowl
- 1 Small Pot
Steps to Prepare Perfect Rice Salad
Boil the rice in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain it al dente and let it cool in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Meanwhile, prepare the hard-boiled eggs, just put them in a small pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil, cooking them for 5 minutes after boiling. Then drain the water, add cold water, change it a couple of times, then after a short rest in cold water, peel them while still warm, and let them cool.
Also boil the peas in boiling water, preferably frozen ones rather than canned, which can be prepared in 5 minutes, just during the rice’s cooking time, like the eggs. Drain and let cool.
Cook the sausages as well. Just put them in a small pan covered with water, or in a small pot. Let them cook for a few minutes, then drain the water and let them cool. If you don’t eat sausages, even if they are of good quality, you can omit them.
When the rice is at least lukewarm, add all the ingredients to make our perfect rice salad. Start by adding the peas, then also add the drained corn, sliced sausages, tuna in oil, and again sliced olives, eggs cut into slices, and finally also arugula and small chopped cherry tomatoes. Mix well, and adjust with salt.
I like to add a bit of rice salad dressing, the tasty oily one, which makes the salad really special, but I don’t use much, usually, one jar is used for at least 3 salads, but it’s not mandatory, just like choosing to add mayonnaise, I usually don’t put it, but it never fails to be on the table since the greedy ones always ask for it. You can also add other vegetables, carrots, celery, zucchini, and peppers even raw, or artichokes and mushrooms in oil.
I prepared a rich rice salad for 4 hearty portions, or 8 smaller ones; adjust the amount you prepare to your taste, but if there’s any left, it surely won’t be displeasing to eat it the next day.
The rice salad is perfect for both lunch and dinner, great to prepare in advance and leave in the fridge until it’s time to serve it. It looks great on a table and fits perfectly on a rich summer buffet. Great to enjoy even at the beach if kept well chilled.
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