Brown Rice Salad Recipe

It's easy to turn cold cooked brown rice into a delicious meal or side salad loaded with beans, herbs and spices, and your favorite vegetables. Try this vegan Brown Rice Salad with different flavor combinations to make it your own in only 20 minutes!

Rice is a staple ingredient in my house. I love preparing it in different ways to make dishes like turmeric yellow rice, chickpea rice pilaf, or coconut rice.

But this grain is also delicious served cold in a salad. You can either cook up a batch and let it cool, or transform your leftovers into something new. Plus you can make different flavor variations of this dish with your favorite ingredients or whatever you have on hand.

Originally I created this recipe as a Southwestern brown rice salad featuring kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, and avocado. But then I decided to make different variations inspired by the flavors of cuisines such as Mediterranean, Mexican, and Indian.

I've included these options for you to try, as well as a blueprint for creating your own recipe. You can enjoy any of them as a complete meal or hearty side dish.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Variations
• Instructions
• Amy's tips
• Storing
• More vegan grain salads
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

To make my original version of brown rice salad shown in the photos, you will need the following ingredients:

• Brown rice*
• Kidney beans
• Corn (canned, fresh, or frozen)
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Avocado
• Lime juice
• Olive oil
• Ground cumin
• Chili powder
• Salt and pepper

*While I usually use long-grain brown rice, basmati, or jasmine, any variety can be used, including short and medium grains. You can also use white rice or a blend of different types together such as a wild rice blend.

Variations

While the ingredients shown in the recipe give this dish a Southwestern-inspired flavor, it's easy to use the same method and turn your brown rice salad into a completely new recipe. Some of my favorite variations include Mediterranean, Mexican, and Indian.

Instructions

Mediterranean

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat:

• approximately 3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
• 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes. quartered
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Mexican

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat:

• approximately 3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
• 1 can pinto beans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes. quartered
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Indian

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat:

• approximately 3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
• 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Create your own

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat:

• approximately 3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
• 1 can beans or legumes (15 ounces)
• 2-3 cups vegetables
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• fresh or dried herbs
• salt and pepper, to taste

Storing

Leftover Brown Rice Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For best results, freezing is not recommended.

More vegan grain salads

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