Fresh roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese crumbles make this savory Pesto Rice Salad bright and flavorful. The perfect simple side dish that everyone will love!
Pesto Rice Salad
Time to get excited about some rice, y’all. First, we eat a lot of rice in this house. Before you say rice is boring, let me go ahead and adjust your expectations! Rice is a basic for a reason. It’s simple and easy to make but it’s also a great carb to dress up in simple ways that make a big impact. This Pesto Rice Salad is the perfect example. A few fresh ingredients and a simple sauce give plain white rice quite the glow up! From meh to yummeh in just a few minutes!
I’m a huge fan of RiceSelect® products. I love their selection of rice varieties and the quality of the rice once it’s cooked. The texture and flavor of the rice is amazing. I follow the package directions and it turns out perfect every time:
Combine your rice, water, and butter in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir once and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes. This lets the rice absorb more moisture. Fluff with a fork and serve!
Quickie: How to Roast Corn
To roast corn, preheat the grill to medium-high. Brush corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season evenly with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Grill, turning often, until charred all over, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the grill. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels off of the cobs. For more grilled corn yumminess, try my Grilled Corn Salsa. It’s delicious and so, so easy!
Pesto Change-o!
Preparing pesto is a snap! In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and salt and pulse until well combined. Add the olive oil and continue to pulse/blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth. Season with more salt to taste.
Now, let’s mix up that Pesto Rice salad! In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooked rice and pesto until the rice is completely coated in the pesto. Add the cherry tomatoes, corn, goat cheese, and red onion.
Gently stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the salad with the pine nuts and more goat cheese, desired. Serve and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this Pesto Rice Salad as much as we do. When you make it, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see! I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share.
xoxo,
Pesto Rice Salad
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8-10
Description
Fresh roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese crumbles make this savory Pesto Rice Salad bright and flavorful. The perfect simple side dish that eveyone will love.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked RiceSelect® Texmati rice
- ½ cup basil pesto (see recipe below)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
- ¾ cup roasted or grilled corn kernels
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ¼ cup red onion
- ¼ cup pine nuts
Pesto Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the pesto: combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined. Add the olive oil and continue to pulse/blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth. Season with more salt to taste.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooked rice and pesto until the rice is completely coated in the pesto. Add the cherry tomatoes, corn, goat cheese, and red onion. Gently stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the salad with the pine nuts and serve.
