Brown rice often gets a bit of a bad wrap, but after trying this Easy Healthy Brown Rice Salad (that actually tastes good) you may be wondering why haven’t I been eating this salad all along .

This salad is what happens when you treat brown rice as a nutty base flavour. When you add crisp vegetables, yummy cashew nuts, fresh herbs, and a punchy sesame oil Asian style vinaigrette that soaks into every grain without turning it into mush. It turns into one of those easy meals and heathy recipes that are your fave go to.

Normally brown rice has had that reputation of being bland, chewy and kind of a low budget wonder. But it’s one of those quiet little grains that go unnoticed until someone makes a star of it.

Plus the fiber content is pretty huge. 12 grams! So if you are needing a wholesome salad that will make mountains move than this one is for you my friend. If you love salads then this one is also great to have not only in the Summer months but between seasons too. If you are loving that sesame oil flavour then you might also like our Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing. It’s really crunchy and you’ll want a second helping for sure.

I’m not quite sure of the origin of this long time favourite. Could it be a made into Mexican recipes, Chinese recipes or even Thai recipes. Who actually knows. But the main thing is that the fresh produce mixed with these Asian dressing ingredients makes for a tasty treats addition to any meal.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this brown rice salad recipe. Ps the only cooking you’ll do is the rice.

Brown Rice – medium grain. 2 cups will turn into around 4-5 cups cooked. I use a rice cooker for this job.

Mixed Salad Ingredients – around 8 cups of diced will do. Feel free to use different vegetables if you like. They colour of the veggies is what helps makes this salad visually appealing. Red bell pepper give a vibrancy matched with green capsicums.

Fresh Herbs – parsley and coriander make a lovely combination of flavors mixed in with the rice and vegetables.

Dressing Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Brown Rice options – I like to use the medium grain brown rice. I’ve tried basmati but it can be a bit firm and was a bit harder to eat.

How to make this Easy Healthy Brown Rice Salad STEP BY STEP

Really there isn’t much to making this salad. Add cooked rice, diced veggies, mix up the dressing and pour over and voila! Serve.

2. The dressing can be done in either a jar and shake it nice and vigorously or mixed in a bowl.

Recipe Tips

Add delicate ingredients last. Soft herbs, avocado, and anything that wilts or browns should go in right before serving. Sturdy vegetables, nuts, and dried fruit can sit in the salad for days without losing texture.

Dressing – Add or subtract the quantities for the dressing to suit your taste. If you like it on the tangy side add some lime juice. If you prefer it sweeter lessen the lemon and add more honey. You can also omit the sesame oil and turn it into more of vinaigrette dressing if you prefer.

Dress the rice while it’s warmish – After mixing the rice and the veggies together pour the sesame soy vinaigrette over the hot rice and toss gently with a fork or spatula. The rice will absorb the dressing as it cools, so make sure every grain gets coated. Let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature. This resting period is where the magic happens. You can also make a little bit extra dressing to uses on the following day to redress the rice salad if you like.

Additions and Substitutions

Wow the list is endless. it’s a bit like how long is my arm?

Red onion – Finely diced or sliced. Or swap for green onions.

Feta Cheese – Even though this isn’t a Mediterranean cuisine a touch of fetta and it’s saltiness is lovely especially if you are doing a lemon vinaigrette dressing instead of the sesame and soy version.

Chicken breast – add protein with grilled chicken to make this more than a side salad and turn it into easy dinner ideas and more of a complete meal.

Storage

Keep the leftovers in an aright container in the fridge. it will last for 3-4 days. This salad can be served cold as well. If you’re meal prepping, cover and refrigerate. The flavors will deepen as it sits. Before serving leftovers, taste and add a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of olive oil to wake it back up. Additions and Substitutions

Need some salad ideas with 7 ingredients or less? Grab our Free Salad eBook below.

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Rate the recipe

I hope you love this Easy Healthy Brown Rice Salad! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!

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