what makes a good rice salad?

[mummypig]

I have had some that are horrendously boring, and others that are gorgeous. I don't have a tried-and-tested recipe at home. I'm guessing that adding lots of herbs or spices, good oil, vinegar and other strongly flavoured ingredients would probably help it along...

nothing

nothing does

that's why there is always loads left at christenings

Yeahhh... not a fan of cold rice either. But would imagine that like you say, strong flavours and seasonings would make it taste good. You could try soy sauce, curry paste, tomato pasta sauce ect and also mix in a load of lentils or chickpeas which IMHO make almost everything edible

Wow hold your horses, rice salad rocks, my mum does an absolutely brilliant one, and always goes down a treat when she does her buffets!
In fact people request it especially.

Of course I dont know it cause I'm not a buffet making kinda gal, but I will ask my mum tomorrow and have it posted forthwith for your enjoyment, watch this space.

thank you colacubes. Have gluten-intolerant friend coming to visit tomorrow and lots of cooked rice to use up so recipe will be very much appreciated.

Add a good oil/vinegar or vinagraitte and other seasoning and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavours to develop. Add all the fresh veg and other ingredients just before serving.

Mine is never left over at parties (admittedly I get through a fair amount of it myself though)

Brangelina arent you busy having twins anytime soon? Would think you were to busy to be making rice salad!

ours goes down well , it's tuna,egg,tomato,cucumber and onion all chopped small ,(tip the tuna in complete with oil),add vinegar and lea and perrins ,salt and black pepper, a bit of hellmans if you like it and bung it into the fridge to chill for a bit -keep tasting while you're adding stuff

jamila169 that's not a rice salad that's a complete meal! sounds grate!

rice salad ime one of those things that looks nice with little bits of pepper but is rather profoundly disappointing. will await revelation of colacubes.

Boil rice, bit of salt then drain and leave to cool, frozen peas cover with boiling water, do not boil or cook, just leave to sit in the boiling water. Chop red pepper, onion (any kind you want) tomato remove the seeds, mushrooms sliced and cook in a little butter, then take out and leave to cool.

When ingredients are cooled mix together, add french dressing to taste, but slowly so it doesn't get to wet.

Now honestly its gooooood, sounds simple, I might try it my self, but its good, seasoning is in the dressing, she swears by it, and I can vouch for it too.

Rice salad is minging I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole

Can't you do couscous or quinoa instead?

My aunt does a delicious one with nuts in and nut oil hmmmmm

lol cd

I always think it's food poisoning in a bowl

cold rice just doesn't taste great and it's hard to get it stay all nice and fluffy rather than hard and bitty

Delia does a nice one with risotto rice and pesto, recipe here. It's not half so minging as 'traditional' rice salad.

Forgot to add that I make it with a jar of pesto, can't be fagged wtih all that 'grind your basil and pine nuts' malarkey...

Did one last night. Cooked rice in veg stock so risotto style, so juice used up by time cooked. Added raisins and butter a few minutes before the end. Separately heated up oil and added a tsp of cumin powder and 1/2 tsp paprika with a tsp of coriander and another of mint. (All dried herbs.) Stirred this into the rice when it was ready and then squeezed in 1/2 lemon. Left it to cool.

thanks everyone. My friend was round for lunch on Friday so I did jamila's 'meal in a bowl' tuna rice salad and it went down well. Will attempt colacubes another time. I like the idea of your spicy one too yomellamoHelly.

posting the recipe got me going too mummypig -I've got a tub of the lovely stuff waiting to be scoffed!