10 Best Rice and Pasta Salad Recipes to Celebrate Every Season
With simple ingredients and super easy steps, rice and pasta-based salad recipes are so flexible that you can make the most of your seasonal produce. Tossed and served in a wooden salad bowl brings out the beautiful colors and textures of these favorite salads.
A refreshing side dish, this lemon rice salad is the perfect meal to bring to potluck dinners and special gatherings. Enjoy a mouthwatering blend of light flavors when you combine cooked long-grain and wild rice, diced cucumbers, sliced green onions, chopped pecans, and minced herbs, all tossed with a zesty dressing. Keep entertaining casual and easy when you prepare and serve this salad in the right wooden chopping bowl.
Vegetable and Brown Rice Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
The ultimate salad recipe with a refreshing honey lemon dressing, this brown rice and veggie medley gives dinner a well-deserved makeover with a variety of flavors and textures. It’s the vegetarian side dish you want when hosting a handful of guests or a bigger crowd. The best part? It only takes 20 minutes or less to come up with this healthy salad that’s loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs, like crunchy carrots, radishes, and celery.
An authentic Mediterranean dish, this healthy rice salad recipe is easy to make when you have the right chopping bowl and mezzaluna. Chop up cucumbers, orange peppers, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, and red onions. Take cooked long-grain rice and add in your sweet corn, olives, pine nuts, and minced herbs. Mix everything with an unforgettable herb and garlic dressing for a fantastic vegetarian-friendly side dish in the spring or summer.
Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Baby Corn
Bursting with flavor, this wild rice salad is another great solution for potlucks, serve as a dinner side, or be enjoyed as a full meal on its own. Combining wild and brown rice with asparagus, baby corn, spinach, radishes, spring onions, chopped nuts and mint, and pomegranate seeds, you won’t miss out on nutrition, too. Drizzle with a lightly sweet and tangy dressing for the most delectable bites!
Summer Dinner Salad with Wild Rice
Celebrate your seasonal produce with this filling salad that puts together hearty grains with fresh veggies and fruits. The result? A deliciously satisfying summer salad that boasts an array of textures and flavors, all tossed in a light yet flavorful dressing. In a large salad bowl, combine your wild rice with sweet cherry tomatoes, smooth zucchini ribbons, creamy avocado, and fresh arugula for that peppery kick. Drizzle with a simple vinaigrette and pile your bowl high with some chopped basil and fresh edible flowers for a colorful and tasty plant-based meal.
With plenty of crunchy romaine lettuce, smoky bacon, fresh juicy tomatoes and al dente penne, you’d know this BLT pasta salad is what you need for an easy yet fantastic meal. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or wanting to enjoy a meal by yourself, this recipe is a complete dish on its own but also works well as part of a big lunch spread. A homemade ranch-style dressing ties it all together but you can also swap it out for a Greek yogurt or creamy avocado dressing for a healthier version.
It doesn’t get easier than this quick pasta salad that lets you combine the ingredients you already have in your kitchen for the season. We love how rotini or penne pasta, sliced bell peppers, zucchinis, tomatoes, scallions, and fresh herbs tumble together with a hearty homemade dressing. Add in grated parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella, which all melt into this stunning salad. We recommend a large maple or cherry wooden salad bowl to bring out the colorful mix and brighten up your dining table.
Healthy, light and fresh, this mouthwatering pasta salad recipe is packed with Southwestern fixings- from black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, and avocado to cheddar cheese, cilantro, and taco seasoning. We love how a zesty Greek yogurt dressing accents these delicious ingredients for maximum flavor. It’s a classic summer combo that’s known and loved by everyone!
Never thought of using spaghetti for a salad recipe? This one’s packed with antipasto- from salami and peppers to onions and olives, this easy spaghetti salad is set to become the next crowd-pleaser at any summer picnic. Combine pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, red and green bell peppers, olives, and onions; tie everything together with a homemade zesty Italian dressing that packs a lot of flavors. Garnish with basil for that perfect finishing touch!
Loaded with crisp veggies, sweet mangoes, and fresh herbs, this orzo salad is the ultimate summer food for your next outing. Have fun experimenting with flavor and texture as you toss together orzo pasta, hearty garbanzo beans, and juicy mangoes in contrast to the crunchy texture of diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, and red onions. Add in fresh herbs and arugula for some more fresh flavor and finish with toasted pine nuts. Toss them all with a zesty tahini dressing for that creamy goodness.