Spring Rice Salad

Spring rice salad is a fresh, colorful, and versatile dish, perfect for the warm season. Below I propose an Italian variant of the spring rice salad.

Ingredients

• 320 g of parboiled rice
• 150 g of diced cooked ham
• 100 g of fresh or frozen peas
• 150 g of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150 g of mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 100 g of carrots, diced and blanched
• 80 g of pitted green olives, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• A few fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Preparation

1. Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rice following the instructions on the package, making sure to drain it al dente. Refresh it under cold running water and allow it to drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a small pot, cook the peas for a few minutes if they are fresh, or follow the package instructions if they are frozen. Once cooked, drain them and refresh with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rice with the cooked ham, peas, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, carrots, olives, and red bell pepper.
4. Season the rice salad with salt and pepper to your liking, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix gently.
5. To add a touch of freshness, tear some fresh basil leaves and mix them into the salad before serving.

The spring rice salad can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. I recommend taking it out of the fridge about fifteen minutes before bringing it to the table to enjoy it at a temperature that’s not too cold.

Curiosity

In Italy, rice salad is an extremely popular dish, especially for picnics and as a single course on hot days. Each family has their version, with ingredients that can vary widely according to personal tastes and seasonality. There’s no “official” version of rice salad, so feel free to customize yours as you like!