Fish salad with rice and sardines is a simple and delicious dish for lunch or dinner, complete with a homemade mayonnaise dressing. Canned fish salads are hearty, quick to make, and diverse dressings give them a savory kick. It is an excellent everyday meal when you do not have much time to stand by the stove. Sardines, mackerel, or saury in their own juice—any of these canned fish will work for the recipe. These salads are prized for the harmony between filling grains and tender seafood, creating a dish that looks equally good on an everyday table or a holiday spread.
A vibrant and hearty fish salad with rice, sardines, and fresh cherry tomatoes makes a perfect dish for a family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 can of canned sardines (250 g / 8.8 oz)
- 200 g (7 oz) cooked rice
- 3 chicken eggs
- 2 fresh cucumbers
- 1/2 small sweet onion
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cherry tomatoes
- Salt, black pepper, sweet ground paprika
Ingredients for the dressing
- 1 thick slice of lemon
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 50 g (1.7 oz) brine from canned peas or beans (aquafaba)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 150 g (5.3 oz) olive oil
- Salt, sugar, and black pepper
How to make fish salad with rice and sardines
Pour short-grain rice into a bowl, cover with cold water, and rinse several times until the water runs clear. Transfer the rinsed rice to a pot and add cold water in a 1:1 ratio. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, wrap the pot in a towel, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Transfer the cooked rice to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
We use short-grain rice for the salad, boiled until tender and completely cooled.
Hard-boil the eggs, cool them down, and finely chop them. Add the chopped eggs to the cooked rice.
Finely chopped eggs make the salad's texture softer and more nutritious.
Place the canned sardines (in their own juice) into a salad bowl. Break the fish in half and remove the bones. Mash the sardines with a fork.
Sardines in their own juice are the main flavor highlight of our dish. Do not forget to remove large bones.
Cut small fresh cucumbers into thin julienne strips and add them to the rest of the ingredients.
Thinly julienned cucumbers give the salad the necessary juiciness and spring freshness.
Slice a small sweet onion into thin half-moons. Pour hot water over the chopped onion, let it sit for 2 minutes, and then drain. This removes the bitterness and mellows the harsh flavor. Add the blanched onion to the salad.
Blanching the onion with boiling water removes the excess sharpness, making its flavor delicate in the salad.
Make the mayonnaise dressing. In a tall blender cup, combine 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder. Squeeze in the juice from a thick slice of lemon, then pour in the brine from canned legumes (aquafaba) and soy sauce. The brine from chickpeas, green peas, or beans works perfectly. Blend the ingredients for a few minutes, then start adding olive oil drop by drop. Once the sauce begins to thicken, pour the oil in a thin, steady stream. You will not need all the sauce for this recipe—150 g (about 2/3 cup) of olive oil for 4 servings will be too much. You can store this homemade mayonnaise in the fridge for a few days.
Homemade mayonnaise based on legume brine is a great alternative to store-bought dressings.
Dress the salad with the homemade mayonnaise. A store-bought dressing works too, but homemade makes it so much tastier!
The homemade dressing perfectly complements the combination of fish, rice, and vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix the salad thoroughly.
Mix the salad thoroughly so that every ingredient absorbs the dressing and spices.
Mound the fish and rice salad into a serving bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and arrange them cut-side up on the salad. Sprinkle everything with sweet ground paprika and serve immediately.
Mound the salad and garnish with cherry tomatoes. A pinch of paprika adds an appetizing look to the dish.
Bon appétit! Cook quickly and with pleasure! To make your fish salad with rice and sardines look even more impressive, serve it in individual portions using a plating ring, and garnish the top with fresh dill sprigs or thin lemon slices. If you prefer a bolder flavor, add a drop of whole-grain mustard or some chopped capers to the homemade mayonnaise for a piquant touch. Since rice tends to absorb the dressing quickly, try to dress the salad right before serving—this way it will stay juicy and fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but remember that fresh cucumbers can release moisture over time, so it is best to make exactly as much as you plan to eat in one sitting.
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