• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Family Food on the Table
  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Baby Food
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Baby Food
  • Subscribe
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

Cool rice salad with creamy yogurt dressing

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 | Published: Jun 16, 2015
This post may contain affiliate links. See my 
disclosure policy.

Jump to Recipe
Pin

A cool rice salad with tomatoes, cucumber, basil and a creamy yogurt dressing - perfect for summer!A cold creamy rice salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and fresh basil in a white bowl.

This cool, creamy rice salad is great for warm weather when you don't feel like eating a plate full of steamy food. I add tomatoes and cucumber, drizzle with a dreamy yogurt-based dressing and top with fresh basil.

It screams summer!

A cold creamy rice salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and fresh basil in a white bowl with cherry tomatoes scattered to the side.

Close up of a cold creamy rice salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and fresh basil in a white bowl.

Plus, you can make this ahead of time and serve it cold or at room temperature.

It makes for a great potluck and picnic item, and frees you up to enjoy the party. Cause I don't want to have to fuss over food when I could be sipping a drink and chatting with friends or running around with the kiddos.

Sometimes both... 😉 All about the multi-tasking!

A white serving bowl full of a cold creamy rice salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and fresh basil.

This cool rice salad goes with everything - grilled or roasted chicken, fish, pork or steak. And if you've got a spicy dish, this will help cool things down. It's an ideal, get-along-with-everyone kind of side dish.

 

So if it's hot and humid outside, mix up this little rice salad and cool things down.

Enjoy!

 

Cool rice salad with creamy yogurt dressing
PRINT PIN SaveSaved!
No ratings yet

Cool creamy rice salad with yogurt dressing

Cool down with this delicious creamy rice salad!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ cups small cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cucumber, diced small
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  • Cook brown rice.
  • While the rice cooks, chop your veggies and prepare the yogurt dressing.
  • Mix the yogurt, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper together in a small bowl until well combined.
  • When the rice is finished, rinse under cold water then lay it out on some paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Pat it dry and put rice in a large bowl.
  • Add tomatoes and cucumber. Add the yogurt mixture to the bowl and stir everything until it’s well combined.
  • Add the chopped basil and stir gently to combine.
  • Serve at room temperature or cold.

Notes

If making ahead, wait and add the basil when you serve it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 291mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!

 ** What's your favorite cool side dish in warm weather?

A collage of images for a cold rice salad recipe made with cucumbers, tomatoes, yogurt and basil.
Pin

More Vegetarian

  • Close up of a wooden spoon resting in a large bowl of Asian style coleslaw with peanuts and ramen.
    Crunchy Asian Coleslaw with Ramen
  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • Close up of a small spatula scooping up roasted parsnips from a sheet pan.
    Roasted Parsnips
  • Close up of a bowl of chickpea cookie dough with chocolate chips on top and to the side.
    Healthy Cookie Dough

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • A cream cheese chicken and mushroom mixture in a large pan with a wooden spoon resting in it.
    Easy Cream Cheese Chicken
  • Close up of honey garlic chicken served in a blue and white bowl with sliced green onions on top.
    Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
  • Close up of a whole roasted chicken on a large white serving platter with veggies and fresh parsley to the side.
    Easy Whole Roasted Chicken
  • Close up of a fork resting in a bowl of rice and curried ground turkey with peas.
    Curry Ground Turkey with Rice and Peas
  • Close up of a wooden spoon drizzling pan gravy over seared pork chops.
    Easy Skillet Pork Chops with Gravy
  • Close up of a dark skillet with a saucy honey garlic chicken dish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions sprinkled on top.
    15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken

Footer

↑back to top

About

  • Contact
  • Work With Me

Newsletter

  • Sign up for emails!

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Family Food on the Table

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required