Skip to main content

Orange Rice Salad

This flavorful combination of rice, citrus, nuts and raisins makes a popular side dish. Add a protein for a filling and satisfying lunch.
Big bowl of a colorful mixture of rice, orange and parsley.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour
Makes: 5 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
½ cup diced celery
¾ cup raisins or other dried fruit
¼ cup chopped nuts
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon orange juice or vinegar (any type)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges with juice
¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. Mix all ingredients together in medium-sized bowl.
  4. Chill for an hour to allow flavors to blend.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • Try adding ⅔ cup diced green peppers or other crunchy vegetables.
  • No canned mandarin oranges? Use 1 ½ cups fresh orange pieces (cut bite-sized) and ¾ cup orange juice.

Comments

I have made this many times with 3rd graders. We prefer to not have the juice from the mandarin orange cans, but the rest we followed the reicpe and loved it!

This is such a great recipe! We used this as our Thanksgiving "stuffing" this year and it was such a refreshing taste. It has bright color and stores well for leftovers. It also scales up really well for sampling at a food bank. I slice the mandarins into thirds so that each bite gets a little bit of orange instead of whole mandarin slices.

Wonderful, very light for summer time.

I really loved this recipe! Vinegar might add some more zest???

You might also like...

Recipes A to Z (without photos)

Fiesta Barley Salad
Bowl of mandarin orange and barley salad with a wooden serving fork.

Fiesta Barley Salad

A bright and colorful salad with a combination of grains, veggies and fruit.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
45 minutes
Makes:
7 cups
Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Small bowl of a creamy, white sauce.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce

Homemade creamy yogurt sauce blended with parsley, mint and cilantro.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
2 ½ cups
Garden Vegetable Cakes
Platter of stacked vegetable patties with a tomato slice.

Garden Vegetable Cakes

A simple snack or meal full of veggies and parmesan cheese, with hints of lemon and dill.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
8 cakes
Dry-Roasted Garbanzo Beans
Bowl filled to the brim with baked and seasoned garbanzo beans.

Dry-Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Enjoy these protein and fiber-filled garbanzo beans as a snack, or add them to your favorite dishes for crispy texture.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
4 cups
Salmon Salad Mix
Creamy salmon mix on lettuce in a bowl.

Salmon Salad Mix

A delicious and vitamin-packed alternative to tuna salad, this salmon salad is made with tangy pickles, low-fat yogurt and a bit of creamy mayonnaise.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
1 ½ cup
Spinach with Garbanzo Beans
Bowl of bright green salad with beans.

Spinach with Garbanzo Beans

Garlicky, tender garbanzo beans sauteed with spinach for a warm and delicious meal.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
4 cups