Mediterranean Cold Rice Salad with Feta
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The taste of fresh herbs, buttery olive oil, and tangy feta cheese give this cold rice salad a decidedly Mediterranean flavor. It’s perfect for a potluck picnic or as a delicious, versatile side dish!
Easy Summer Rice Salad
This Mediterranean cold rice salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, making it the perfect dish to bring to any gathering. It’s also an excellent side dish for just about any meal!
My brown rice feta salad can also be easily modified to suit your family’s tastes. Switch the brown rice for white, the feta for mozzarella, or the cannellini beans for garbanzos. It’s a great way to use any leftover rice that you may have in your fridge.
How to Make Mediterranean Cold Rice Salad
This recipe for cold rice salad comes together quickly and is chock-full of delicious, fresh herbs. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (It is important to use the best quality olive oil you can afford, as the flavor really comes through in this salad.)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, minced
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Bring the water, rice and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let it stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
Spread the rice out on a platter or tray and place it in the fridge to help it cool faster.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs in a bowl. Toss over the cooked, cooled rice. Add beans and feta, mixing just until combined.
Season to taste. Rice salad recipes can be served at room temperature or chilled.
If you love feta cheese as much as I do, try this Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feta and Fresh Mint, or my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Pesto and Feta.
How Long Can You Keep Cold Rice Salad?
Some think that eating cold rice can lead to food poisoning. However, the issue is really how you cool and store the rice.
While the rice is cooling, it’s important to spread it out on a large plate or tray and, if possible, put it in the fridge to help it cool faster. Bacillus cereus, the disease-causing bacteria found in some rice, can grow more quickly if the hot rice cools slowly (as in a pot or bowl). Don’t leave rice at room temperature for more than an hour.
Once you’ve made your cold salad with rice, keep it stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days, though the rice may get a little mushy. This is one of those cold rice dishes that is best served fresh!
Mediterranean Cold Rice Salad With Herbs And Feta
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives minced
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring water, rice and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. Toss over cooked, cooled rice. Add beans and feta, mixing just until combined.
- Season to taste.
- Can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- White rice can be substituted for the brown rice.
Nutrition
This looks so, so good! I love cannellini beans! And feta! And herbs!
This side dish will be a bit hit at summer potluck parties and BBQs! Looks so fresh and delicious!
What great flavors here! A good quality olive oil is key. I keep a nice bottle in my cabinet for dishes like this, and a regular bottle for dishes that are less centered around the olive oil. And feta cheese is so awesome! What a tasy fresh salad 🙂
That’s what I do…I have “every day” olive oil and olive oil for salads and dressing.