We look forward to this rice salad every summer at my house. It’s one of those dishes I don’t make any other time of the year and is kind of a guilty pleasure. It sounds like a bizarre combination…imitation lobster (or crab) meat and rice tossed with sour cream and grapes?? And yes, I realize that imitation crab meat is not the cleanest food on the planet, but this salad is one of those stand in front of the fridge with a fork and pile it into your mouth salads. At least it is at our house.
I first had a taste of this rice salad at a friend’s barbecue a few years ago. His wife was from Russia and this was her version of a salad she grew up eating. To make it a bit healthier, she replaced what should have been mayonnaise with the sour cream and added the baby spinach. It was surprisingly delicious and we have been making our own version of it ever since!
This summer rice salad satisfies a few of the characteristics I look for in a recipe:
It’s fresh and light, yet keeps me full: the veggies and fruit keep it refreshing and light; the rice and protein gives it staying power
It’s super easy to whip up: once you cook up the rice it’s assembly making at best; simply chop up the ingredients and throw them in a bowl!
It’s versatile: I used grapes for the fruit and imitation lobster for the protein, but you could use mandarin oranges and shrimp (or real crab meat!) for the protein
I hope you’ll try this simple and unique rice salad for your next barbecue or outdoor eating event!
Summer Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh grilled corn chilled
- 1 1/2 cups imitation lobster/crab meat or shrimp chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2 big handfuls spinach chopped
- 1 cup grapes sliced
- 1/2 cup sour cream I used Cabot Sour Cream
- 1 cup cooked white rice I used Basmati, chilled
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the rice, corn, imitation crab, sliced grapes and chopped spinach. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir in the sour cream and mix until well combined. Serve cold.
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