Creamy Avocado, Crab and Rice Salad
Made with ranch dressing and creamy avocado, our summery Creamy Avocado, Crab and Rice Salad can be served as a main or side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Minute® Instant Jasmine Rice
- 2 cans (6 oz, each) crabmeat, drained
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Instructions
Add a splash of color to your table with a tasty salad that is bursting with fresh flavors. Whether it’s served on a cracker or a dinner plate, this satisfying Creamy Avocado, Crab and Rice Salad is sure to become a summer staple. Made with aromatic Minute® Instant Jasmine Rice, it perfectly balances crisp summery flavors with rich creamy textures.
Step 1
Prepare rice according to package directions. Allow to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Toss rice, crab, feta, dressing, bell pepper, celery, chives, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
Step 3
Toss avocado with lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir into salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
Instead of canned crabmeat, you can use fresh lump crab meat or shredded imitation crab in this recipe, if desired.
Substitute chopped, grilled shrimp or cooked baby shrimp for the crab in this recipe, if preferred.
For an elegant presentation, lightly press the salad into a ring mold before serving.
Choosing Crab
Customize just how creamy this dish is! After all, not all crab meat is created equal. The label lets you know what texture you should expect when you open the can.
- Texture: If you want a smoother crab mixture, to contrast the grains and crunch of the vegetables in this dish, reach for cans that have finer textured meat, marked crabmeat. If you crave some chunky crab bits folded into your dish, choose cans that contain unbroken crab meat, called lump or super lump.
- Flavor: Wild-caught crab tends to be a little more flavorful, but sometimes those stronger flavors don’t work well with certain recipes. On the other hand, farm-raised crab is more consistent. If you want to make sure your favorite recipes turn out the same, every time, you may want to use farmed crab.
- Freshness: Precooked or imitation crab is the easiest to work with and can be scooped right out of the can into the bowl with your other ingredients. If you decide to go the fresh route, you’ll get richer flavors but you’ll need to cook and cool the crab before adding it to the mixture.
- Imitation: Imitation crab does have seafood in it, just not crabmeat. It is finely shredded, so only choose this alternative if you are looking for a creamier dish.
Out of canned crab? Simply grab a can of tuna or salmon out of your pantry. It has a bolder flavor than crab but that may be just what you’re looking for! Want something a little less creamy than this dish? Our Spicy Chipotle Tuna on Rice packs a lot of flavor, along with some spice, into one bowl.
Our Multigrain Crunch Salad is another great, light salad and is perfect for using up leftover ingredients. Want a refreshing dish with more turf and less surf? Our flavor-packed Grilled Steak and Brown Rice Salad Platter will be the hit of the barbecue – or for a delicious rice staple, you can’t go wrong with this Microwave Egg Fried Rice.
Red Peppers and Substitutes
Red peppers are the sweetest variety on the bell pepper spectrum. If you have yellow or orange bell peppers handy, they are slightly less sweet, but overall very similar. Make this dish even sweeter — and keep that festive pop of red — by using pimento.
Lose the sweetness, and turn up the heat by experimenting with a flavorful pepper variety. Anaheim peppers have a subtle, fruity hint of spice, while poblanos are bolder and earthier. Both options have a kick, but are mild enough to please a large crowd. Want your dish to bite back? Reach for spicy jalapeños.
If you are looking for vegetarian dinner options try our Rice-Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan.
