Sweet Corn and Basmati Rice Salad

A warm rice salad that is simple, incredibly versatile, and so delicious. Sweet corn off the cob, fresh baby spinach and fluffy basmati rice, tied together with a dijon shallot vinaigrette, bringing out all the flavors. The perfect side dish for any summer meal, it can be enjoyed with seafood, steak, pork, chicken, you name it!

What is sweet corn and basmati rice salad?

Sweet corn and basmati rice salad is considered a “salad” because we are tossing it with a vinaigrette, much like you would for a pasta or vegetable salad. This dish is best enjoyed while still warm or at room temperature, as opposed to pasta salads where it’s best to let everything marinate hours before serving. The first time I ever tried a corn and rice salad, it was served as a side with fresh lobster. I was amazed by how light and refreshing it tasted, and loved the idea of a warm side salad, replacing the need to cook a separate vegetable and starch.

A few notes about the ingredients

Dijon shallot vinaigrette

We start off with a simple vinaigrette using dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a small shallot, and salt.

Shallots have a sweeter, more subtle flavor than regular onions, which compliments the sweet corn and keeps the dressing from overpowering the salad. If you don’t have access to shallots, half of a red onion would be a fine replacement.

Basmati rice vs. white rice

Basmati rice is simply a variety of white rice, it has a longer grain and is known to be fluffier than other varieties, like jasmine rice, which tends to be slightly moister. I prefer using long grain varieties, such as basmati or jasmine, as they yield fluffier rice compared to short grain white rice.

Fresh corn

The fresh corn is the highlight of this salad! There’s nothing like getting take a bite with a strip of crunchy sweet corn. However, if you’re making this recipe during a season when fresh corn isn’t available, you can use a sweet frozen variety of corn.

Baby spinach

I love to make this salad when fresh corn and baby spinach become available at the local farm, but any fresh baby spinach will do. You can also chop up larger spinach leaves. I do not recommend using frozen spinach.

spinach substitutes

I’ve met a non-spinach eater or two in my day. Watercress makes a great substitute for spinach in this rice and corn salad!

Popular additions

Feta cheese would be a delicious addition to add a little protein to this dish.

Scallions go great in this recipe, slice up the greens and whites, and toss them in at the end.

A few notes about this recipe

assembly steps are key!

Be sure to assemble in this order;

1. layer corn
2. layer spinach
3. layer hot rice
4. mix in dressing

*This is very important, as we want the hot rice to slightly soften the spinach. Let the hot rice cover the spinach and sit for at least 5 minutes.

How to re-heat leftovers?

This dish is best served warm, as the rice grains become hard after they’re refrigerated. I recommend letting the leftovers sit out to come back to room temperature, or placing them in the microwave for short 15-second intervals at a time, stirring after each interval.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

I don’t recommend refrigerating this salad before serving, as you want the salad to stay warm or at room temperature to keep the rice from hardening.

You can make the vinaigrette in advance and refrigerate it. You can also cook the corn in advance, place the cut corn and spinach in the salad bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook the rice and serve.

Take the salad bowl out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the rice. Cook the rice and assemble it just before serving.