Summer Rice Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Try this light and refreshing summer rice salad for your next cook-out! It’s packed with fluffy rice, a tangy herbed vinaigrette, and lots of smoky grilled vegetables.

Step aside pasta salad! There’s a new kid on the salad block and it’s this rice salad.

While not a typical summer salad, I’m very convinced that rice salad should be more commonplace! It’s got all the best parts about a standard summer salad including fresh vegetables, cheese, and a flavorful dressing only this version has fluffy steamed rice standing in for the usual pasta.

If you’re not a huge pasta fan, this salad is the perfect choice for you! My husband doesn’t particularly care for pasta salads but he was all over this rice salad and declared it “the best summer salad.”

Plus this little gem features tender grilled veggies which ups the nutritional aspect and adds so much fun color and smoky flavor.

Trust me, this salad may look humble but it’s a little dark horse packed with massive amounts of flavor!

This Rice Salad features…

• Fluffy rice with lots of smoky grilled zucchini and sweet pepper
• Soft feta, herby basil, and sun-dried tomatoes
• A tangy herb vinaigrette
• Minutes to make and perfect for any cookout or potluck

Making the Rice Salad

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Rice
• Kosher salt
• Zucchini
• Sweet pepper
• Olive oil
• Red onion
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Feta cheese
• Basil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Dried oregano

Choosing Your Rice

This recipe works great with a variety of rice, but I recommend going for a long-grain rice such as jasmine or basmati. These varieties of rice cook up soft and fluffy making it ideal for a cold salad since they won’t dry out as much once chilled.

Tips for Perfect Rice Salad

1. Salt rice during cooking – this will add lots of flavor to otherwise-bland rice.
2. Halve zucchini and pepper for grilling – cutting the vegetables this way will eliminate the use for a grill pan. You can just place them directly on the grill grates.
3. Cut vegetables into uniform cubes after grilling – aim for 1/4-inch cubes to make this salad easy to eat.
4. Rinse red onion – rinsing the chopped red onion in cold water will remove excessive bite.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

• Saute or roast vegetables – skip the grilling and instead cut zucchini and sweet pepper into 1/4-inch cubes and saute on the stovetop or roast at 400F 15-20 minutes until tender.
• Use a different grain – try farro, couscous, cauliflower rice, or lentils in place of the rice.
• Swap out cheeses – try fresh mozzarella, cubed gouda or cheddar, grated Parmesan, or goat cheese.
• Use a bottled dressing – Greek, Italian, or balsamic dressing works great in place of the homemade dressing. You will need about 2/3 cup of dressing.
• Add meat – add crispy bacon bits or cooked chicken for a meaty kick.

Storing Rice Salad

This rice salad stores great in refrigerator up to 4 days. It’s actually one of those salads that tastes better the longer it sits in that flavorful dressing!

If you plan to store this salad longer than a day before serving, I recommend waiting to add the basil until just before serving so it doesn’t turn brown.

This salad is just sheer and utter perfection! The tangy vinaigrette coats every inch of the fluffy rice while the tender vegetables and soft sun-dried tomatoes give it the perfect texture contrast.

Just be warned, you’ll always come home with an empty bowl and multiple recipe requests wherever you take this gem!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More rice dish favorites to make next!

• Cheesy Zucchini Rice Casserole
• Grilled Pineapple Chicken and Rice
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Fried Rice

This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 6/20/24.