Looking for a delicious and easy-to-make rice salad that's perfect for a vegetarian lunch or a BBQ side? Look no further than this fruity curried rice salad recipe!
Made with green apples, dried cranberries, chopped peppers, and crunchy toasted cashew nuts, this vibrant and tasty rice salad is super healthy too! Serve it alongside my spicy potato salad at your next BBQ or enjoy it as a satisfying lunch dish on its own.
This has to be one of my favourite no mayo rice salad recipes to make during the summer months, and best of all it's super easy to put together!
The dressing for this curried rice salad is made with simple store-cupboard ingredients such as mild curry powder, fruity mango chutney, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
When combined with aromatic basmati rice, sweet fruits, and crunchy salad vegetables, it creates the perfect flavour pairing. I guarantee that guests will shower you with compliments if you serve this up at your next BBQ!
👩🍳 Have you seen my Tuna Pasta Salad? Another delicious summer salad recipe for those long hot summer days!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Vegan-Friendly: The fruity rice salad is entirely vegan-friendly (just make sure the soy sauce is certified vegan), so you won't have to worry about accommodating different dietary needs.
- Vibrant and Flavourful: The salad is bursting with vibrant colours and flavours. The combination of curry powder, mango chutney, soy sauce, and lemon juice adds depth and complexity to the dish, making it a real crowd-pleaser.
- Easy and Quick to Make: The recipe is really straightforward to make, and you won't have to spend hours in the kitchen.
- Can be Made Ahead of Time: Another advantage of this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time. Whether you're planning a picnic, BBQ, or any other outdoor gathering, you can prepare the salad in advance and enjoy the event without worrying about cooking.
- Health Benefits: This salad is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients such as fresh vegetables, and fruit, which provide essential vitamins and minerals.
🥘 Ingredients
Cooked Basmati Rice - Basmati rice is a fragrant, long-grain rice that is commonly used in Indian cuisine. However, you can use any long-grain rice you prefer, such as jasmine or white rice. As a rule of thumb, rice weighs about three times as much after it's cooked so you will need 200g dry weight of rice to get 600g of cooked rice you need for this recipe.
Apples - Tart apples like Granny Smith apples work best in this salad because they provide a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the dried cranberries.
Dried Cranberries - Add a delicious sweetness to the salad. If you don't have them, you can use raisins or sultanas instead.
Red Pepper - For crunch and texture. You can use yellow or orange peppers if you prefer.
Red Onion - Finely chopped red onion (or spring onions if you prefer) can be used in this recipe to add a bit of bite and flavour.
Cashew Nuts - When toasted, cashew nuts add a nutty crunch to the salad, but you can also use other nuts such as pecans or walnuts.
Parsley - Half of the parsley is mixed into the salad, while the other half is used to garnish it. Parsley adds a fresh, herby flavour to the salad. You could also use other fresh herbs such as coriander or fresh mint.
You will also need the following ingredients for the easy salad dressing;
Mild Curry Powder - For that all-important curry flavour. For a more yellowy-coloured rice dish add a small pinch of turmeric too!
Mango Chutney - A sweet and tangy condiment that adds depth and complexity to the dressing.
Soy Sauce - Provides umami flavour and saltiness.
Olive Oil - Used to emulsify the dressing and adds a fruity, slightly bitter flavour.
Lemon Juice - For acidity and to help to balance all of the other flavours. You can also use lime juice if you prefer.
Brown Sugar - Brown sugar provides sweetness and a delicious caramel flavour to the dressing.
🔪 How to make curried rice salad
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Two: In a large mixing bowl place the cooked rice, chopped apples, chopped red pepper, finely chopped onion, cashew nuts, dried cranberries, and half of the chopped parsley.
Three: Stir with a spoon so everything is mixed thoroughly and pour on the dressing. Mix again until all of the rice grains are coated in the curry dressing. Garnish with the remaining parsley.
💭 Top tips
- Rinse the cooked basmati or long-grain rice in cold water to prevent sticking: To ensure that your cooked rice doesn't stick together, rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will remove any excess starch from the rice and prevent it from clumping together.
- Fluff up the grains: Once you're ready to use the rice, use a fork to fluff up the grains. This will help to separate the grains and make the rice lighter and fluffier.
- Store cooked rice properly: If you're not using the rice straight away, pat the rice dry and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. This will help to keep the rice fresh and prevent it from drying out.
- Squeeze lemon juice over chopped apples: To prevent chopped apples from turning brown, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over them. The acidity in the lemon juice will help to slow down the oxidation process and keep the apples looking fresh.
- Toast the cashew nuts: To bring out the nutty flavor of the cashew nuts, you can toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until they are lightly browned. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.
- Mix the dressing well: To ensure that the dressing is well combined, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl or jar and whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning: Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad and adjust the seasoning as needed. If it's too salty, add a bit more brown sugar. If it's too sweet, add a bit more soy sauce or lemon juice.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the cold curry rice salad on its own, or with chicken or honey glazed salmon for a light lunch. It's great as part of a BBQ or buffet.
Pack up a tub to take on a picnic. It goes well with my cheesy courgette fritters or carrot fritters.
📖 Variations
- Mix up the salad vegetables: Instead of using red pepper and red onion, try using other salad vegetables like radish, spring onions, celery, or fennel. This will add more crunch and flavour to the salad.
- Add peas for sweetness and colour: If you want to add some sweetness and colour to the salad, add 150g of frozen peas to the pan when cooking the rice. The peas will cook along with the rice and add a pop of green to the salad.
- Add protein: For an extra protein boost, stir in a tin of drained and rinsed chickpeas or leftover roast chicken. This will make the salad more filling and satisfying.
- Make it spicy: If you like things spicy, use hot curry powder in the dressing instead of mild curry powder. This will add some heat and depth of flavour to the salad.
- Swap dried cranberries for other dried fruit: If you're not a fan of dried cranberries, swap them for raisins or sultanas. These will add a similar sweetness and texture to the salad.
- Add other fruits: In addition to the apples and dried cranberries, you can also add other fruits like chopped mango, pineapple, or grapes. These will add a juicy sweetness and tropical flavour to the salad.
- Try cauliflower rice: If you want to reduce the carb content of the salad, try using cauliflower rice instead of basmati rice. Simply pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice grains, and then cook as you would normally cook rice. This will give you a low-carb, grain-free version of the salad.
🥡 Storage
Store - The easy curried rice salad can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container to retain freshness. If the salad looks dry or the rice has absorbed all the dressing, you can add a little more dressing or a splash of lemon juice to moisten it up before serving.
❓ FAQs
Rice salad should be eaten cold or at room temperature. Any uneaten rice salad should be returned to the fridge within 30 minutes.
Yes the rice salad can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost in the fridge before serving.
Yes, you can make the salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Just make sure you store the dressing separately and mix it into the salad just before serving to maintain the best texture and flavour.
Yes, you can use different types of rice for the salad. Basmati or long-grain rice are the most commonly used types, but you can also try brown rice, wild rice, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
😋Related recipes
More summery sides you might like!
- Halloumi Couscous Salad
- Coronation Chicken Pasta Salad
- Courgette Feta Salad
- 5 Bean Salad
- Prawn, Avocado and Mango Salad
- Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad
- Spicy Potato Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Courgette & Tomato Bake
- Easy Apple Coleslaw
- Rocket Salad
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Recipe
Easy Curried Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 600 g Cooked Basmati Rice As a rule of thumb, rice weighs about three times as much after it's cooked so you will need to cook 200g dry weight to get 600g of cooked rice.
- 1 Red Onion finely chopped
- 2 Apples quarted, core removed, and chopped
- 80 g Dried Cranberries
- 1 Red Pepper deseeded and chopped
- 80 g Cashew Nuts toasted
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1 Lemon juice only
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.3 tablespoon Mango Chutney, 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce, ½ teaspoon Light Brown Sugar, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 teaspoon Curry Powder, 1 Lemon
- In a large mixing bowl place the cooked rice, chopped apples, chopped red pepper, finely chopped red onion, cashew nuts, dried cranberries, and half of the chopped parsley. Give it a good stir with a spoon so everything is mixed thoroughly and then pour on the dressing.600 g Cooked Basmati Rice, 1 Red Onion, 2 Apples, 80 g Dried Cranberries, 1 Red Pepper, 80 g Cashew Nuts, 2 tablespoon Parsley
- Mix again until all of the rice grains are coated in the curry dressing. Garnish with the remaining parsley.2 tablespoon Parsley
Notes
- Rinse the cooked basmati or long-grain rice in cold water to prevent sticking: To ensure that your cooked rice doesn't stick together, rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will remove any excess starch from the rice and prevent it from clumping together.
- Fluff up the grains: Once you're ready to use the rice, use a fork to fluff up the grains. This will help to separate the grains and make the rice lighter and fluffier.
- Store cooked rice properly: If you're not using the rice straight away, pat the rice dry and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. This will help to keep the rice fresh and prevent it from drying out.
- Squeeze lemon juice over chopped apples: To prevent chopped apples from turning brown, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over them. The acidity in the lemon juice will help to slow down the oxidation process and keep the apples looking fresh.
- Mix up the salad vegetables: Instead of using red pepper and red onion, try using other salad vegetables like radish, spring onions, celery, or fennel. This will add more crunch and flavour to the salad.
- Add peas for sweetness and colour: If you want to add some sweetness and colour to the salad, add 150g of frozen peas to the pan when cooking the rice. The peas will cook along with the rice and add a pop of green to the salad.
- Add protein: For an extra protein boost, stir in a tin of drained and rinsed chickpeas or leftover roast chicken. This will make the salad more filling and satisfying.
- Make it spicy: If you like things spicy, use hot curry powder in the dressing instead of mild curry powder. This will add some heat and depth of flavour to the salad.
- Swap dried cranberries for other dried fruit: If you're not a fan of dried cranberries, swap them for raisins or sultanas. These will add a similar sweetness and texture to the salad.
Dannii
We love a curried rice salad. It's always a favourite at our BBQs.
Sandhya
How easy is this curried rice salad! I would happily have it for dinner.
Lauren
I never would have thought to make a salad with rice and curry - such an awesome combination!
Kechi
I have never added apples and cashew nuts to rice salad before, I look forward to trying this recipe. YUM!
Danielle Wolter
What an amazing salad! I love that you added cranberries and cashews to the salad. SO many amazing flavors.
Carrie Carvalho
Lovely salad, so perfect for BBQs and a nice change from a pasta salad!
Kat (Kat's Veg Kitchen)
This looks so tasty and flavoursome!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Oooh yum! Love the idea of adding cranberries for that pop of sweet tangyness 😀
Laureen
Delicious blend of flavors for packed lunches for work. I used brown rice, worked well with the other ingredients. Can’t wait to try more from this site!
Beth Sachs
So glad you enjoyed it Laureen! It's one of my favourites.