Wake up your taste buds with this Tropical Rice Salad! It's bursting with delicious sweet and savory flavors and packed with healthy fruits and veggies. Perfect for hot summer days!
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Ginnie's Take
It is so hot in Texas right now that my motivation to cook is practically nonexistent. I kind of wish dinner would just magically appear. Know what I mean? On days like these, I look for recipes that require as little cooking as possible. Which means lots of salads, and the more fresh fruits and veggies, the better! This Tropical Rice Salad is exactly what I'm craving. It's filled with healthy ingredients and apart from the rice, there's no cooking required. You are going to love this easy summer recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Delicious - This colorful Cold Rice Salad with pineapple and raisins was inspired by a salad that I tried in New Orleans. Unfortunately, that restaurant is no longer open, so I'm extra thankful I recreated the recipe! It's packed with fresh fruit and veggies, crunchy macadamia nuts, and sweet golden raisins. And the Mango Lime Vinaigrette is to die for!
- Easy - The best part? The salad is easy to make, and apart from the rice, there's no cooking required. Just chop a few veggies, make the simple dressing, and it's time to eat!
- Perfect for Summer - Serve this colorful salad as a main course or as a side dish for lunch or dinner. The fresh, cooling flavors are perfect for any summer meal!
Jump to:
How to Make Tropical Rice Salad
This Hawaiian Rice Salad is simple to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Cook the rice. Start by cooking the rice, then set it aside to cool. Tip: Cooling the rice before mixing it with the other ingredients helps it keep its shape and avoids a gummy texture.
- Make the dressing. While the rice cool, add the vinaigrette ingredients (a diced mango, lime juice, olive oil, and seasonings) to your food processor, then purée until smooth.
- Mix everything together. Combine the rice with cucumber, pineapple, red pepper, macadamia nuts, golden raisins, and cilantro. Then drizzle that vinaigrette over the salad and mix well. Carefully fold in the avocado.
With its perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, this Tropical Rice Salad is sure to become a summer favorite. Make it tonight!
Variations
Now that you know how to make this easy chilled rice salad, feel free to adjust the recipe to your taste!
- Fresh Fruits + Veggies - Substitute your favorite fruits and veggies, such as zucchini, apples, or peaches.
- Dried Fruit - Replace the golden raisins with a different dried fruit, like cranberries or apricots.
- Protein - The salad this recipe was based on included vegan ham, but baked tofu or even chickpeas would also be delicious.
- Rice - Swap in brown rice for the white rice.
You could also use the Mango Lime Vinaigrette for other salads. Add a little honey or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter, if you'd like.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days. If you know you won't eat the entire salad right away, I'd recommend stirring in the avocado just before eating. That way, it won't turn brown.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this easy rice salad, you'll want to try these recipes, too:
- Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Winter Kale Salad with Freekeh and Roasted Veggies
- Lentil Brown Rice Salad
- Arugula Quinoa Salad
- Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Freekeh Salad
- Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Arugula
While you're here, make sure to check out all my salad recipes!
And if you're looking for more tropical-inspired recipes, then you'll love my Teriyaki Tofu Bowl, Pineapple Fried Rice, Tropical Breakfast Parfaits, and Mango Yogurt Breakfast Parfait!
Tropical Rice Salad
Ingredients
For Rice:
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For Mango Lime Vinaigrette:
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- 3 small limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For Salad:
- 1 small English cucumber, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced
- lettuce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Rice:
- Combine rice and salt with 2 cups water in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook rice for 15 minutes, or until tender and water is absorbed.
- Remove rice from heat. Fluff with a fork, then allow rice to cool completely before combining with other ingredients.
Prepare Vinaigrette:
- Combine mango, lime juice, olive oil, salt, cayenne, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Prepare Salad:
- Place cold rice in a large bowl. Add cucumber, red pepper, pineapple, macadamia nuts, raisins, and cilantro.
- Pour vinaigrette over rice, fruit, and veggies. Mix well, then season to taste with additional salt, if desired.
- Gently fold in avocado.
- Serve salad over lettuce, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
What is your favorite recipe for hot summer days?
can you make this ahead of time? or make the dressing and salad but keep them separated until just before serving?
Hi, Valerie! I was on vacation and missed your comment, so sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I'd recommend prepping the salad components (except the avocado) and dressing in advance, then stirring everything together just before serving. Or alternatively, you could mix the ingredients with the dressing in advance, then add the avocado just before serving. I hope you enjoyed the recipe, if you've already tried it! 🙂
used pecans in place of macadamia nuts, and had some spicy mango pepper jelly I made, so added a good T to the dressing.
That sounds delicious, Suzanne! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Garat recipe..
Looks super yummy!
Thanks, Paula! It's so perfect for hot summer days.