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This Italian rice salad (insalata di riso) is a colorful, flavor-packed dish that’s perfect for warm weather meals and casual gatherings. It’s a staple in Italian summer cooking, combining tender rice with a mix of crisp fresh veggies. Savory add-ins like tuna or ham or even briny olives are a great addition. I love how flexible it is—great for using up odds and ends in the fridge, yet it always comes together beautifully. Serve it chilled for a refreshing, make-ahead option that only gets better as the flavors meld.

A Mediterranean rice salad featuring a vibrant mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and fresh herbs creates a refreshing bowl of flavors.

This colorful rice salad offers nutritious ingredients such as nutty brown rice, tomatoes, red onion, arugula, crisp cucumber, fresh lemon juice, and more.

Maybe you’ll like mushroom risotto too, or roasted beet salad, or maybe recipes with corn. And don’t miss out on arancini and antipasto farro salad.

A vibrant Italian Rice Salad graces the table, featuring a fresh blend of rice, diced vegetables, and herbs. This enticing summer side dish is accompanied by serving spoons resting on a striped cloth, with garlic and lemon adding extra zest to the scene.

Why You’ll Love It

Nutritious:  is a very healthy salad with plenty of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants, from the fresh vegetables. The olive oil is a great source of healthy fats. Healthy doesn’t have to mean boring, and this recipe isn’t boring in the slightest.
Authentic: The ingredients in this Mediterranean brown rice salad were carefully chosen with the Mediterranean region in mind, especially Italy and Greece. If you enjoy Greek dishes, you will love how great this is.
Versatile: Whether you’re looking for a summer side dish, a snack or the basis of a main meal with added protein, this is certainly a versatile dish. It’s also easy to tweak the chopped salad ingredients to truly make the recipe your own.

A bowl of Mediterranean brown rice salad with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, spinach, and feta cheese. A spoon is nestled in the vibrant mix.

Mediterranean Salad Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Brown rice: The main ingredient in this insalata di riso recipe.
Fresh veggies: Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, onion, and arugula offer freshness and crunch.
Herbs: The tasty trifecta of dill weed, oregano and cilantro add subtle herbal flavors.
Feta cheese: Adds a creamy, tangy, salty flavor to the salad.
Extra-virgin olive oil: For the dressing.
Vinegar: Balances with the olive oil to make the vinaigrette dressing.
Garlic: Also to flavor the dressing.
Lemon juice: Adds a zesty, citrusy touch of flavor.

A vibrant array of ingredients on a table: chopped onions, arugula, cucumber, and tomatoes mingle with fresh herbs and garlic. Drizzle vinegar and olive oil over brown rice for the perfect Italian Rice Salad—a refreshing summer side dish topped with feta cheese, lemon, and seasonings.

How to Make Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cook rice: Follow the package instructions to cook the rice, then drain off any excess water and let it cool to room temperature.
Prepare the vegetables: Finely dice the veggies for the chopped salad.
Make the dressing: Toss all the dressing ingredients together.
Assemble the salad: Toss the cooked rice and prepared vegetables with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

A refreshing summer side dish, this Mediterranean brown rice salad features diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and herbs for a burst of flavor in every bite.

Substitutions and Variations

Brown rice: You might prefer to use cauliflower rice for a low-carb option or consider long grain rice, wild rice, white rice or even some leftover rice from the previous day. Whole grain brown rice offers a nice nutty flavor though, which is why it’s so good in salad recipes. 
Salad vegetables: Consider adding any other salad ingredients you have in the crisper drawer, such as red bell peppers or hot red peppers, and green onions in place of the red.
Optional add-ins: Kalamata olives or regular black olives, sun-dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh basil, fresh parsley, black beans or cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, green bell pepper, or sunflower seeds would all work.
Top with boiled eggs: In Italy, you often see quartered hard boiled eggs added on top of the rice salad.

Close-up of a Mediterranean brown rice salad featuring pieces of tomato, cucumber, red onion, spinach, feta cheese, and fresh herbs—a perfect summer side dish bursting with flavor.

Serving Suggestions

With bread: Some pita bread or garlic bread on the side is always good with fresh salads.
As a side dish: It would be delicious served with chopped chicken gyros, lemon chicken thighs, reverse seared New York strip steak, ricotta and spinach stuffed shells or shrimp and pan seared pork chops.
As a main dish: Consider topping with a cooked protein (such as shrimp, chicken, steak, or even tofu) to turn this side salad into a main dish.

A bowl of vibrant Mediterranean rice salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, spinach, and herbs. A spoon is elegantly lifting a portion of this refreshing chopped salad.

How to Store Italian-Style Rice Salad

Store:  Keep the components for this cold rice salad refrigerated and make the salad within two days. Leftover Mediterranean rice salad will keep in an airtight container for a few days but, if you already added the dressing, the herbs and arugula will get a little soggy.
Freeze:  If you made extra rice you can freeze that, but the rest of the salad isn’t suitable for freezing.

A close-up of a vibrant Mediterranean rice salad with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and fresh herbs in a bowl.

Top Tips

Meal prep: This is a nice meal prep option so long as you keep the components (the rice, vegetables, and dressing) separate and then assemble just before serving.
Bite-sized veggies: It’s best to cut everything quite small, so you’ll be able to get several flavors on your fork at once. You don’t want large chunks.
Serving temperature: If you serve this at room temperature, the flavors will be maximized.

A bowl of Mediterranean chopped salad featuring diced vegetables, feta cheese, and herbs rests on a rustic surface. Two serving utensils and a cloth napkin accompany the dish, inviting you to indulge in its vibrant flavors.

Summer Rice Salad FAQs

Is this recipe gluten free?

Yep – no gluten in here!

How long can you leave this sitting at room temperature?

Don’t leave it out for more than two hours.

A bowl of Mediterranean brown rice salad featuring diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, herbs, and greens.

Italian Rice Salad Recipe

5 from 50 votes

Italian Rice Salad

Bright, zesty, and packed with veggies, italian rice salad – insalata di riso is your perfect chilled dish for picnics or light summer meals.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 6 Ounces feta cheese, cubed
  • 1 Cup arugula
  • 2 Cups brown rice, cooked
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano, freshly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon dill, freshly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon cilantro, freshly chopped

For the Dressing:

Instructions 

  • Cook the brown rice, following the directions on the package, then drain off the excess water and cool.
  • Meanwhile, dice the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion, and chop the feta cheese.
  • Whisk the dressing ingredients together with a fork or small whisk.
  • Toss the rice with the chopped salad vegetables, feta cheese, and dressing.
  • Serve the Mediterranean salad at room temperature or chill it for an hour if you’d prefer it cold.

Notes

Meal prep: This is a nice meal prep option so long as you keep the components (the rice, vegetables, and dressing) separate and then assemble just before serving.
Bite-sized veggies: It’s best to cut everything quite small, so you’ll be able to get several flavors on your fork at once. You don’t want large chunks.
Serving temperature: If you serve this at room temperature, the flavors will be maximized.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 533IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Mediterranean rice salad Italian style makes a great summer side dish and it’s also a great way to get plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into your diet. Try it at your next summer dinner party or enjoy it for lunch paired with your protein of choice. Italian cold rice salad is going to be your new favorite side dish!

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 50 votes (46 ratings without comment)

6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So crisp, so invigorating, and bursting with delightful flavors! This salad is a true taste sensation.

  2. I just happened upon your site and I will be visiting this again. I love the recipes I’ve browsed upon and will be looking forward to making quite a few – already beginning with this beautiful Italian Rice Salad!!
    P.S. B e a u t i f u l Photos by the way!!!