I have been making this delicious and colorful Confetti Rice Salad for years and we never tire of it! It’s the perfect side dish for a barbecue and can be made in advance.
This salad is so refreshing for summer and goes well with beef, pork or chicken. I serve it at room temperature. Leftovers make a great lunch too.
Healthy Ingredients
This rice salad is my friend Peggy’s recipe which I slightly tweaked. It’s full of fresh ingredients including a red pepper, green onions, purple onion, jalapeño, cilantro and parsley.
Peggy used packaged yellow rice in her recipe. I personally don’t like the added sodium in the packaged rice so I use white rice and add turmeric for the bright yellow color. The extra benefit is that turmeric is good for you.
Black beans add healthy protein which makes it nice for a stand alone salad for lunch.
The dressing is super simple. Red wine vinegar and olive oil. That’s it!
Cilantro Controversy
A note to those that don’t like cilantro: I have served this rice salad numerous times and friends have raved and asked for the recipe. They were shocked to see cilantro in the list of ingredients as they are not cilantro fans. In fact, they have said they hate it!
The cilantro really gives a nice pop of flavor to this recipe. Almost a citrus flavor.
Why are people so divided when it comes to Cilantro? I found an interesting article at The Kitchn, Cilantro: Why Is Its Taste So Polarizing? I was so surprised to read that there’s a genetic trait that makes cilantro taste like soap or ground metal shavings to some people. That’s why some of my friends were so surprised to actually like it in this salad. Perhaps its the combination of ingredients that mask that unpleasant cilantro taste for them.
Where do you stand on the Cilantro taste?
Either way, the rice salad would be delicious with or without the cilantro.
Make Ahead Rice Salad
I love that I can make this Confetti Rice Salad in advance. I often make it the morning of my party. I take it out of the fridge one hour prior to serving to allow it to get to room temperature.
It’s the ideal side dish if you have to take something to a summer pot luck.
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 medium purple onion, chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup white rice, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon lite olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add white rice and turmeric and sauté for 30 seconds to add color to rice. Add 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off stove and let sit for five minutes, keeping cover on pot. Once rice is cooked, place in a colander under cold water to remove some of the starch. Place drained rice in a large bowl.
- Add chopped vegetables, herbs and rinsed black beans to bowl. Toss gently with rice. Add red wine vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- You can make this ahead. Refrigerate until one hour prior to serving. Place on counter to bring to room temperature. Garnish with cilantro or parsley sprigs.
- Enjoy!
I will definitely add this one to my recipe box. I love cilantro! Thanks for this delicious looking recipe.
Thanks for stopping by Marsha! I know you will love this salad – it’s so refreshing!