Pesto Rice Salad
Fluffy grains of mixed rice, tossed with creamy pesto, sun dried tomatoes, corn, and plenty of parmesan cheese. Gluten-free and wholly satisfying, this is ultimate side dish (or main dish for me)!
I’m 100% confident this dish will please the crowd! I know this because I brought it to my son’s college cross country meet… the parents and kids all devoured it (and there were many other options at the picnic). One dad wanted to take the whole thing home… LOL
What kind of rice do you need for this recipe? You can choose your favorite rice, or rice blend. That means you can use all long grain white, or brown rice. That said, I used Rice Select Royal Blend, a colorful blend of Texmati, white, brown, wild, and red rice. It cooks up fluffy every time – and it stores/travels well without clumping together.
I made this as a side dish, but it makes an excellent main dish. I was 100% content eating this as a main dish – it’s super satisfying and delivers plenty of protein. That said, if you want to serve it as a side dish, partner it will baked/grilled chicken, fish, pork, and steak!
Pesto Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed rice blend, such as Rice Select Royal Blend, or long grain white rice, or brown rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn, yellow or white, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package directions, adding the tablespoon of butter and Italian herb seasoning.
- While still warm, fold in the corn, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Mix well.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve warm or chilled.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.