This Vegetable Rice Salad is packed with delicious flavors and textures. As colorful as it is delicious, it’s perfect for small or large gatherings as a light lunch option, a party food or a simple side to a family dinner.

Top view of a serving dish filled with vegetable rice salad.

Original post: July 2016 | Updated: August 2020 and January 2025

Why This Easy Rice Salad Recipe Works

Salads like this one make me swoon.
Great way to use up extra rice.
Every time I put this delicious salad together, I place it in my fridge and mildly obsess about it until I’ve eaten the entire thing. Sometimes I share with others.
This salad is so versatile! There are so many veggies, textures, colors and flavors involved.
This yummy recipe acts as a great side dish or a light lunch.
It’s also the perfect dish for meal prep or to bring to a potluck or gathering of any kind.

I become abnormally giddy about a really good salad in the summer, the same way I become abnormally giddy about apples in the fall. And this Vegetable Rice Salad is no exception, summer or otherwise!

Packed with colorful fresh veggies swimming in a sea of rice, it’s perfect for any occasion or meal. Serve this refreshing rice salad as a light summer lunch or as a hearty side for a larger dinner.

It’s also the perfect recipe for BBQs and tailgates, potlucks or gatherings of any kind where great food is appreciated.

Ingredients for Vegetable and Rice Salad

Use fresh vegetables for maximum flavor in this sublime cold rice salad.

Ingredients for veggie rice salad in individual bowls, lined up on a white counter.

Rice – Add fully cooked rice to the salad. Use your favorite variety! Choose from options below.

Bell pepper – Orange bell pepper is my favorite because of its sweetness and punch of orange color, but yellow, green or red bell pepper can be used.

Cucumber – If you don’t love cucumber seeds, remove them first. You can follow these step by step instructions for How To Cut Cucumbers For Salad.

Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – Cut in half for easy forking.

Red onion – Or replace with yellow or white onion. If using an entire red onion is too much, add just 1 cup freshly chopped red onion to the salad.

Edamame – Prepare the edamame according to package instructions before adding to the salad.

Lime juice – Replace with lemon juice if desired.

Olive oil – For an even healthier dish, use 1 tablespoon of olive oil instead of 3.

White wine vinegar – Substitute with red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Seasonings – Salt and pepper season the dish perfectly, but add your favorite seasonings such as paprika or cayenne pepper.

How to Make Vegetable Rice Salad

This recipe is so easy to put together. Cook and cool your rice, cut your vegetables, combine and let sit for a bot for the flavors to develop.

Step 1

Prepare rice according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl or baking sheet and let the warm rice cool completely while you prepare the vegetables and rest of the ingredients.

Step 2

Add bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, edamame, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ingredients for rice and veggie salad in a mixing bowl, before being mixed.

Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Hand stirring the salad in the mixing bowl.

How To Cut Cucumbers for Salad

There’s a bit more to slicing a cucumber than just slicing a cucumber. Before you even pick up a knife you have to decide how you want your cucumbers cut. Halved? Quartered? Diced? Peel or no peel? Seeds, no seeds?

I’ve got all your cucumber cutting questions covered in my How to Cut Cucumbers post.

Recipe Notes

Make sure your rice is cooled completely before mixing in the other ingredients. I like to spread the cooked rice out on a sheet pan or baking dish and place in the refrigerator to cool it quickly. (This also gives less warm time for bacteria to form.)
Add chopped fresh herbs to the salad such as parsley or basil for added flavor.
Add chopped chives or green onion into the mix.
Use red, orange, green or yellow bell pepper, or a combination!
Salt and pepper season the dish perfectly, but add your favorite seasonings such as paprika or smoked paprika, cayenne pepper.
Use white rice or brown rice for this recipe.
Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over the top for an extra crunch!
Crumbled feta cheese is the perfect addition to this salad. Add it as you serve instead of mixing it in.
Replace the veggies called for in the recipe with any other vegetables you have on hand! Zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and broccoli florets would all taste great.
You can also make this recipe with couscous or other small grain.

Types of Rice

Short grain rice? Long grain rice? White rice or brown? There are so many options to choose from.

White
Brown
Basmati
Jasmine
Wild rice
Black or Red rice (also known as “Forbidden Rice”)
Arborio or Bomba rice – great for risotto

Close up of a fork lifting a bite with rice and a cherry tomato off of a plate with the salad.

Rice vs Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is just cauliflower that has been grated down to small, “rice-size” pieces. It’s a much lower calorie counterpart to traditional white or brown rice containing only 25 calories per cup compared to 200+ calories in a cup of cooked rice. Cauliflower rice is also higher in fiber.

I go into more detail about cauliflower rice in my Cauliflower Mushroom Rice post.

What To Do With Rice

Here are just a few great ideas to use up leftover rice!

Sprinkle in some chopped fresh cilantro and mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and juice from 1 lime. No need for Chipotle!
Serve underneath a heaping scoop of Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls, Orange Chicken or Mongolian Beef.
Serve alongside Instant Pot Chicken for the perfect complete meal.
Add it to a skillet or wok, along with eggs, peas, carrots and soy sauce to create a delicious fried rice.
Go simple and serve with a few pats of butter or olive oil. Stir until melted.
Mix together with salsa, black beans, lime juice and chopped avocado. Add shredded chicken for a meaty dish!

What To Serve With Rice and Vegetable Salad

One of the best things about this recipe is how much of a versatile dish it is! You can have it on its own as a light and healthy option, or serve it as a side salad with so many great main meals! Here are just a few of my favorites!

How Long Can You Keep Rice Salad in the Fridge

Store any remaining veggie rice salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within 2-3 days. Cooked rice has a natural forming bacteria that causes it to spoil quickly after that.

Can You Freeze Rice Dishes?

Many rice dishes freeze very well. However, I don’t recommend freezing this vegetable rice salad because vegetables like the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers lose their texture during freezing and thawing.

Plate with a serving of vegetable rice summer salad and a fork, next to bowl filled with the salad.

More Easy Salad Recipes

This Classic Chopped Salad is packed with delicious ingredients including candied pecans, red onions, avocado, tomatoes and more!
Edamame Tomato Corn Salad is my favorite salad recipe of all time. It’s a crowd-pleaser, enjoyed any time of the year. Bring this to a party and it will be devoured immediately!
Loaded Veggie Salad is super easy to make and it is packed with yummy ingredients, such as chickpeas, black beans, tomatoes and avocados. It is a delicious lunch, wrap filling, party side or even a topping for chicken.
This crunchy, veggie-packed Crunchy Bok Choy Salad is a great dish to bring to parties. Prepare this just before serving.

Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

Vegetable Rice Salad Recipe