How To Make Rice Salad With Mayonnaise

From Forgotten Leftover To The Star Of The Show

When cooking rice many home cooks prepare too much of it. Because the rice swells and doubles in size during the cooking process, measuring out the raw quantity you will need can be hard to judge. Leftover rice is usually scooped into a container and forgotten at the back of the fridge. This is such a pity, because that small container can become your next meal’s best friend if you know how to make a rice salad with mayonnaise.

Rice salad with mayo is a filling treat for lunchtime or is ideal served at a braai alongside a lamb chop and some garlic bread. Rice salad can even be placed in a taco with some tabasco sauce drizzled over for a Mexican feast. In this article, Hellman’s brings you the rice salad savvy which will turn that container of surplus rice from a long-forgotten leftover to the star of the show.

Six Easy Steps To A Creamy, Tangy Rice Salad

To prepare a creamy rice salad follow these six easy steps:

1. Cook your rice. If you are not in the lucky position of having a container of leftover rice waiting in the fridge, you need to first cook your rice. Boil rice in salted water according to the package instructions and allow it to cool down.

Top Tip: If you are in a hurry - and we bet you are - place the cooked rice beside an open window and allow the breeze to speed up the cooling process.

2. Prepare your veggies. While you are waiting for your rice to cook and then cool, you can get started on your veggies. A good rice salad typically contains four to five different fresh, crunchy vegetables adding a nutritious goodness to the mix. In this Summer Rice Tuna Salad, we added corn kernels, spring onions, cherry tomatoes and avocado. Peel and chop your veggies and then put them aside covered, to be added later.

3. Make the sauce or dressing. Without sauce, a rice salad can be dry and bland. This step is therefore essential. In the tuna salad recipe above, four tablespoons of Hellman’s Original Mayonnaise are added for a bold and satisfying taste. The mayo is then mixed with salad dressing to create a tart liquid that coats the rice kernels and tastes delicious.

4. Add some protein. Some rice salads with mayonnaise recipes are meat-free and taste incredible, but if you want a rice salad that will bust the lunchtime hunger, meat is a mouth-watering addition.

Tuna is low in fat and compliments the mayonnaise in a rice salad, so this is a healthier protein you may want to try. In this Chicken and Tomato Rice Salad recipe, we added smoked chicken and chestnuts. Other rice salad recipes incorporate pieces of salami or bits of bacon for that salty punch you might be craving.

Top Tip: For an affordable protein option try adding hard-boiled eggs to your rice salad - divine!

5. Mix it up. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Watch it all come together as you mix your chilled rice, veggies and protein together. Now drizzle over your mouth-watering dressing, mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Voila! Pat yourself on the back - your rice salad is ready to serve.

6. Serving your rice salad. If you have prepared your rice salad for an occasion like a braai, finish it off with a sprig of coriander and sprinkle over some paprika for colour and a little zing. Rice salad looks more appetizing when it is served in a darker dish that contrasts with the white of the rice and mayo.

There you have it, six easy steps to preparing a delicious rice salad with mayonnaise in no time at all.

Versatile Rice Salad With Mayonnaise Ideas

Rice salad is so versatile it is easy to put a different spin on it every time you prepare it. For a Japanese-style rice salad, add fresh ginger and a little teriyaki sauce to your mayonnaise. For a citrusy rice salad, add the juice of half a grapefruit to your mayonnaise. Or for a sweeter rice salad, you can combine one teaspoon of tomato sauce with your mayonnaise. The combinations are endless.