French-Style Rice Salad with Tuna, Tomato & Hearts of Palm🌾

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Atsuko
French style rice salad
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Atsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

This easy French-style rice salad, known in France as Salade de riz aux cœurs de palmier, tomates et thon, features hearts of palm, tuna, and tomatoes for a light yet satisfying dish.🥗 Hearts of palm, or cœurs de palmier, are tender vegetables harvested from the inner core of palm trees. Commonly sold in jars or cans in France and Germany, they offer a mild flavor and a texture similar to bamboo shoots or white asparagus, making them perfect for cold salads. For a seasonal variation, you can also try this recipe with white asparagus instead of hearts of palm!
Expense
💵
Preparation
10 mins
Baking time
Rest Time

Ingredients

Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

For 4 people

Salad

  • 400 g canned hearts of palm
  • 150 g canned tuna
  • 200 g cherry tomatoes
  • 200 g cooked rice (about 2–3 small bowls)
  • Fresh parsley, to taste

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to make it:

1/ Prepare the Ingredients: First, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and slice the coeur de palmier into 1cm-thick pieces. Finely chop the parsley and set it aside.

2/ Make the Dressing: In a bowl, combine the seasonings and mix well until evenly blended.
3/ Mix the Salad : Add the cooked rice and tuna to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Then, gently fold in the coeur de palmier and cherry tomatoes, making sure everything is well incorporated.

4/ Serve: Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley on top, and it’s ready to enjoy!

French style rice salad

⭐️Tips & Variations⭐️

Rice in France vs. Japan
In France, we don’t have the habit of eating white rice daily like in Japan, so we start by cooking the rice from scratch. But in Japan, you can simply use leftover rice from the day before, making this salad even more convenient!

Try It with Basmati!
For a lighter, fluffier texture, try making this salad with Basmati rice, a fragrant indica variety. It’s a great choice for those who prefer a smooth and airy bite.

What Is Coeur de Palmier?
In Japan, coeur de palmier seems to be known as “Palmit.” If you spot it in a store, give it a try! It also works beautifully with white asparagus or bamboo shoots for a delicious variation.

A Family-Inspired Recipe – Perfect for Summer!
This salad is inspired by a dish my French mother-in-law used to make for me every summer—a Japanese twist on her original recipe using rice. The idea of adding rice to a salad and incorporating coeur de palmier, which was new to me, left a lasting impression. Now, it has become one of our favorite summer dishes!

Umami Sans Frontières – Copyrights 2026
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Written byAtsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

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