Full of flavor and tossed with cubes of mozzarella and a vinaigrette, this chilled Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon is perfect for lunch or a potluck!
There are many reasons to have a big crop of basil in your garden or in a pot on the windowsill, and this twist on a caprese salad is just one of them! (A Cherry Tomato Basil Tart and Pesto Crisps are two more good reasons!)
This Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon is one of my favorite cold salad recipes. There are so many favorite flavor combinations brought together in one dish: like bacon and tomatoes, so delicious together on BLTs. And basil with tomato, two summer garden crops that were so made for each other. Don't forget tantalizing, sautéed garlic, which is delicious with practically everything!
Why you'll love this recipe
It's a dish you can prepare for a casual lunch or whip up to bring to a party or potluck. No matter who you serve it to, hungry people will really love it.
Fresh tomatoes and leaves of basil are tossed into a cold rice salad, along with cooked, chopped bacon, cubes of mozzarella and a simple vinaigrette. Every bite of the salad is full of flavor, even down to the rice which is cooked with sautéed garlic.
Question: Do you have a favorite way to cook bacon?
I really like cooking it the oven. Some sources like to talk about how much less of a mess it is done this way. Well, to be clear it's still messy—I mean, making bacon will always be messy!
Although you'll have a greasy baking sheet and rack to wash, I like that using the oven means you get to walk away and do something else for those 15-20 minutes, instead of standing over a spattery frying pan. Plus, the strips are cooked perfectly and look good in a photo or on the plate. And that's my two cents of bacon makin'!
🔪 How to make Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon
Step 1: Make the rice
Sauté diced garlic in oil, then add in jasmine rice. Stir the rice in the hot oil for another minute, then add water and cover. Cook the rice until it's tender, then spread it out to let it cool.
Step 2: Prepare the tomatoes and basil
Dice the tomatoes. Roll the basil leaves up, then slice across to create thin strips. Combine the tomatoes and basil strips in a bowl with the diced bacon and cubed mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Make the vinaigrette and finish the salad
Stir the cooled rice into the bowl. Make a quick vinaigrette by shaking together some vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour this into the bowl. Stir it all together, and serve it up!
Notes:
- Jasmine is my favorite, everyday rice because it's delicious and cooks up so quickly. Feel free to use a different kind of rice in this salad, and follow the package directions for the time to cook it.
- I recommend choosing a good quality, smoked bacon. Find a local bacon producer if you can! It makes a difference to use a well-smoked bacon that you can really taste in every bite. I like Dakin Farms of Vermont and North Country Smokehouse of New Hampshire.
Alright, enough reading: it's time to get this Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon—and in your mouth!
The recipe is below. Need even more salad ideas? You got it, baby!
💬 Tell me what you think of this deelish salad! Leave a comment below and a rating on the recipe!
Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice, uncooked
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 strips bacon: cooked, drained, and chopped into small pieces
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, plus a few more for garnish
- 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
For the vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the rice:
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil until hot in a pan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and toss quickly to sauté, for 30 seconds.
- Add in the jasmine rice and stir to coat it in the oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the rice and garlic frequently for another 2 minutes - do not allow the garlic to burn.
- Add in 4 cups of water and stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the rice, covered, stirring it one or two times during cooking. Simmer the rice for 15-20 minutes until it's tender.
- Spread the cooked rice out on a baking sheet and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- While the rice cools, prepare the other ingredients.
Prepare the tomatoes and basil:
- Slice the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds and discard them. Dice the tomatoes and place them in a large bowl along with the chopped, cooked bacon.
- Julienne the basil: place the basil leaves in stacks of 4-5, roll them up from the long edge and slice through the leaves crosswise to cut them into thin strips. Run the knife through the strips a few times to chop them into small pieces, and then add them to the bowl.
- Add the cubed mozzarella to the bowl as well.
Make the vinaigrette:
- Pour the ½ of vinegar and ½ cup of olive oil into a small jar with a lid. Add in the pepper and salt. Close the jar and shake to combine everything.
Complete the salad:
- Stir the cooled rice into the bowl with the basil, tomatoes, bacon and cheese, and toss the ingredients to combine.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the bowl and toss to coat and combine everything. Taste the salad, and add a dash more of salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
- Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled. Garnish the servings with torn or whole fresh basil leaves.
- Makes about 4 cups. Store leftover salad covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Jasmine is my favorite, everyday rice because it's delicious and cooks up so quickly. Feel free to use a different kind of rice in this salad, and follow the package directions for the time to cook it.
- I recommend choosing a good quality, smoked bacon. Find a local bacon producer if you can! It makes a difference to use a well-smoked bacon that you can really taste in every bite. I like Dakin Farms of Vermont and North Country Smokehouse of New Hampshire.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared in 2014.
James
Hi Nancy, we would like to try this recipe, but are unsure what type of vinegar to use. Please let us know what you would suggest.
Nancy Mock
Hi James, great question - I use regular white vinegar in this dressing. I haven't tried it with other vinegar varieties, but if you experiment with this let me know how it turns out. Thank you and I hope you like the salad!
Maegan Chevrefils
This is one of my go to recipes now. It is delicious and so simple. Thank you so much!
Nancy Mock
Hi Maegan! I love this, thank you so much for the amazing feedback. It really means a lot that you tried my recipe and I'm so happy to hear that it's become a favorite. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Nicohle Christopherson
Wow, this looks REALLY good... I can't wait for my garden to bloom so I can give this a try! <3 Thank you for the recipe!
Nancy Mock
Thanks Nicohle!
Marie
Hopped here from Freedom Friday and loved what I saw! Following you on bloglovin'. This recipe is a keeper! Blessings to you and yours!
Marie @ http://countedcrossstitchcafe.com & http://asatisfiedspirit.com
Nancy Mock
Thank you so much Marie! I'll come check out your sites now 🙂