French-style Rice and Tuna Salad Recipe
A refreshing and vibrant French-style rice and tuna salad combining cooked long grain rice with colorful diced bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, black olives, and flavorful canned tuna. Tossed with a tangy olive oil and mustard vinaigrette and topped with hard-boiled eggs, this salad is perfect for a light lunch or a satisfying side dish served cold or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup (200g) uncooked long grain rice (or 3 cups cooked)
- 1 bell pepper (red, green or yellow), seeded and diced
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 5 oz (150g) canned tuna (packed in water or oil), drained and crumbled
- 1 1/3 cups (200g) sweet corn (canned and drained, or grilled)
- 1 small red onion, peeled and diced
- About 15 black olives
- 3 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, chive), minced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
Dressing
- 3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15ml) wine vinegar (red or white)
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Cook the long grain rice according to package instructions until tender. Once cooked, spread the rice on a tray or leave it in a bowl and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before mixing.
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled rice, diced bell pepper, tomato wedges, crumbled tuna, sweet corn, diced red onion, black olives, and 3 tablespoons of the minced fresh herbs. Gently toss to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Prepare the dressing and season: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard until emulsified. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly ensuring all ingredients are coated in the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve and garnish: Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Top with quartered hard-boiled eggs and garnish with the remaining fresh herbs. Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature as preferred.
Notes
- Cooking the rice in advance and letting it cool completely is key to prevent the salad from becoming mushy.
- You can use leftover cooked rice to save time.
- Feel free to substitute fresh corn if available and in season.
- Adjust the type and amount of fresh herbs to your liking; tarragon or basil could also work well.
- This salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, making it a great make-ahead dish.
- For a dairy-free option, omit the hard-boiled eggs or replace them with avocado slices.
