Best 7 Greek Rice Salad Recipes

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In the realm of culinary delights, Greek rice salad stands out as a vibrant and flavorful dish that tantalizes the taste buds with its harmonious blend of textures and flavors. Originating from the sun-kissed lands of Greece, this delectable salad showcases the Mediterranean's culinary prowess, deftly combining fluffy rice, an array of crisp vegetables, tangy dressings, and aromatic herbs. Whether served as a refreshing main course on balmy summer days or as a vibrant side dish accompanying grilled meats, Greek rice salad promises an explosion of flavors that will transport you to the heart of the Mediterranean. Join us on a culinary journey as we delve into three enticing recipes that capture the essence of this classic dish.

1. **Classic Greek Rice Salad: A Timeless Favorite**: Embark on a culinary expedition with our classic Greek rice salad recipe, a beacon of simplicity and freshness. Allow white rice to absorb the essence of vegetable broth, infusing it with savory goodness. As the rice cools, embark on a chopping spree, transforming cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions, and tomatoes into a vibrant medley of colors and textures. Combine these with the fluffy rice, feta cheese crumbles, and a zesty dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and a hint of garlic. Let the flavors marinate and mingle, resulting in a symphony of tastes that will leave you craving more.

2. **Mediterranean Orzo Salad: A Twist of Delight**: Unleash your culinary creativity with our Mediterranean orzo salad recipe, a delightful twist on the classic Greek rice salad. Substitute orzo pasta for rice, introducing a delightful change in texture. Follow the same delightful process of chopping fresh vegetables, creating a colorful ensemble of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and bell peppers. Combine the cooked orzo, vegetables, and crumbled feta cheese, then coat them in a delectable dressing that harmonizes olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and a hint of garlic. Prepare to be captivated by the unique texture and vibrant flavors that set this salad apart.

3. **Quinoa Greek Salad: A Health-Conscious Alternative**: Embrace the goodness of quinoa with our health-conscious quinoa Greek salad recipe. This protein-packed grain takes center stage, offering a nutritious foundation for your salad. Follow the familiar steps of chopping cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and bell peppers, creating a symphony of colors and textures. Combine the cooked quinoa, vegetables, and crumbled feta cheese, then drizzle them with a tangy dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and a hint of garlic. Indulge in a guilt-free delight that satisfies both your taste buds and your health-conscious desires.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

GREEK RICE SALAD



Greek Rice Salad image

Delicious. The avocado makes the dressing a little creamy, though feel free to leave it out if you wish. Best made the same day you are going to serve it.

Provided by Audrey Noland

Categories     Salad     Vegetable Salad Recipes

Time 2h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
2 ½ cups water
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
¼ cup lemon juice
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1 ½ cups diced English cucumbers
⅓ cup diced red onion
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Bring the brown rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool, fluffing occasionally with a fork.
  • Toss the avocado and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, mint, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl; lightly toss the mixture until evenly combined. Fold the cooled rice gently into the mixture. Serve immediately or chill up to 1 hour; the salad does not last well for more than a day as the tomato and cucumber begin to release their juices and the salad becomes watery.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 223.5 calories, Carbohydrate 24.6 g, Cholesterol 8.3 mg, Fat 12.7 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.9 g, Sodium 304.2 mg, Sugar 2.7 g

WARM GREEK-STYLE RICE SALAD



Warm Greek-style Rice Salad image

This is from my Cookshelf Rice and Risotto cookbook. I have not tried it. Cook time is estimation of time it takes to cook the rice. It looks yummy!

Provided by Bobtail

Categories     Greek

Time 30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 cup long grain white rice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 red bell peppers or 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 1/4 ounces kalamata olives or 2 1/4 ounces other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled,plus
extra feta cheese, cubed,for garnish
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 -4 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 -4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
salt
pepper
diced cucumber, to garnish

Steps:

  • Cook rice till tender.
  • Drain and rinse under hot water.
  • Drain again.
  • Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper.
  • Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, feta, cheese, capers and parsley.
  • Stir to coat.
  • Toss along with the rice in a large bowl.
  • Garnish individual servings with feta cheese and diced cucumbers.

GREEK BROWN RICE SALAD



Greek Brown Rice Salad image

This salad has a little taste of Greece. The creamy feta, crunchy cucumber, and salty olives bring out delicious flavors in this salad. Entertaining doesn't get any easier than this. Serve it up with lamb, pork, or chicken. If your guest is vegetarian, you can serve this as a main.

Provided by Only Gluten Free Recipes

Categories     Salad     Grains     Rice Salad Recipes

Time 1h25m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cucumber, diced
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked gluten-free brown rice
1 (4 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Combine cucumber, chickpeas, rice, feta, tomatoes, onion, and olives in a bowl.
  • Whisk parsley, lemon juice, garlic, basil, and olive oil together in a bowl. Stir dressing into the rice mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let the salad rest for 1 hour before serving to allow rice to absorb the flavors.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 225.8 calories, Carbohydrate 27.5 g, Cholesterol 16.8 mg, Fat 10.4 g, Fiber 4.2 g, Protein 7.7 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 733.7 mg, Sugar 5.8 g

GREEK RICE SALAD



Greek Rice Salad image

Make and share this Greek Rice Salad recipe from Food.com.

Provided by DailyInspiration

Categories     < 30 Mins

Time 21m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 cups cooked rice
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (reserve marinade from artichoke hearts)
1 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced (drained)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
lettuce leaf

Steps:

  • Combine cooked rice, chopped artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, and lemon pepper in a large covered bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
  • Just before serving, drizzle the reserved artichoke marinade over salad, toss to blend, then spoon onto a lettuce-lined salad platter. Prep time includes refrigeration time.

GREEK RICE SALAD



Greek Rice Salad image

I love cooking. My husband even had to build another room especially for the cookbooks I collected! No matter how many salad recipes I try, this is still at the top of my list.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 15m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups julienned cooked turkey breast
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup halved ripe olives
3/4 cup plain yogurt
3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

Steps:

  • Combine the rice, turkey, tomatoes and olives. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mint, vinegar and lemon-pepper. Pour over rice mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 174 calories, Fat 3g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 15mg cholesterol, Sodium 258mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 11g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

GREEK RICE SALAD



GREEK RICE SALAD image

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 english cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3 scallions, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups long-grained rice
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Make dressing Process feta, olive oil, vinegar, honey and oregano in food processor until smooth. Transfer to large bowl and stir in cucumber, tomatoes, olives and scallions. Rice 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water prepared in rice maker. Spread out on rimmed baking sheet to cool quickly. Alternately, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 1/2 cups rice and 1 tablespoon salt to boling water and cook until just tender, 12 - 14 minutes. Drain rice, spread on rimmed baking sheet, and cool completely, at least 20 minutes. (Rinse rice well before cooking and do not over cook. Rice maker with these portions works best.) Combine Dressing, Vegetables and Rice, sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese. Salt and Pepper to taste.

GREEK RICE SALAD



Greek Rice Salad image

This is a quick and simple rice salad. The creamy feta blends beautifully with the black olives. If you leave out the cucumber, this is also lovely served warm. I like the flavour as it is but if you don't like vinaigrette tart, feel free to reduce the amount of red wine vinegar to 2 tablespoons.

Provided by Shuzbud

Categories     Lunch/Snacks

Time 1h10m

Yield 2-3 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
2 cups hot water
1 cup cubed feta cheese (or more if you like!)
12 pitted black olives, sliced
1/2 cup finely cubed cucumber
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried ground oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

  • Cook the rice in the hot water, simmering over a low heat in a covered pan for around 20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.
  • When the rice is fully cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool, for about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette- in a bowl, beat the olive oil and red wine vinegar until they are completely blended. Add the ground oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
  • When the rice is cool, add the cubed feta, black olives, cucumber and vinaigrette.
  • Stir to mix and put in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to blend.

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh, flavorful ingredients will make a big difference in the taste of your salad. Look for ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and tender rice.
  • Cook the rice properly: The rice should be cooked until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it. Overcooked rice will be mushy and ruin the texture of the salad.
  • Let the rice cool completely: Before adding the rice to the salad, let it cool completely. This will help prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
  • Use a variety of vegetables: Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables in your salad. Some good options include tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and olives.
  • Add some protein: If you want to make a more substantial salad, you can add some protein, such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
  • Use a light dressing: A light dressing will help to brighten up the flavors of the salad without weighing it down. A simple vinaigrette or lemon-tahini dressing is a good option.
  • Serve the salad immediately: Greek rice salad is best served immediately after it is made. The flavors will meld together over time, but the salad will start to wilt if it sits for too long.

Conclusion:

Greek rice salad is a delicious and refreshing dish that is perfect for a summer meal. It is easy to make and can be customized to your liking. With its bright flavors and healthy ingredients, Greek rice salad is a surefire hit at any gathering.

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