Southwestern Brown Rice Salad is a delicious combination of brown rice, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, and avocado. It’s seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and lime. This salad is naturally vegan and gluten-free and can be made oil-free.
Whenever I have leftover rice, I usually make a healthy fried rice with whatever vegetables I have on hand.
But another great option is to make a rice salad.
One of my favorites is a fruity wild rice salad.
However lately I’ve been obsessed with this Southwestern Brown Rice Salad.
Southwestern Brown Rice Salad is delicious for lunch or as a side dish.
It would definitely be the hit of any potluck.
And the great thing about this dish is it’s full of healthy protein and fiber.
While you could use white rice if you prefer, the wonderful thing about brown rice is it’s a whole grain.
According to Healthline, “All white rice starts out as brown rice. A milling process removes the rice’s husk, bran, and germ. This process increases white rice’s shelf life but removes much of its nutrition, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.”
So while white rice is a healthy choice, brown rice is an even healthier one.
If you enjoy Southwestern Brown Rice Salad, you may also like some of these other dishes flavored with cumin and chili powder:
Now let’s make Southwestern Brown Rice Salad!
Southwestern Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions, cooled (about 3 cups cooked)
- 1 can kidney beans, (15 ounces) rinsed and drained (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 can corn, (15 ounces) drained (or use 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen defrosted)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, diced
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Optional add ins:
- chopped cilantro
- pickled jalapenos
- red or green onions
- sliced black olives
- your favorite vegetables
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large salad bowl. Toss well to combine.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Get your FREE ebook Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes & Tips
By entering your email address, you agree to receive our emails in accordance with our privacy policy. Unsubscribe at any time.
Erin Rosenfeld
Super easy to make and turned out delicious!
Amy
Thank you, Erin!
Wanda
I found this recipe and luckily had all the ingredients on hand. Turned out delicious, it’s so easy and pretty as well.
I also tossed in 2-3 cups of chopped mixed spring greens just because they were n hand and wanted to use them. Turned out tasty as well
Amy Katz
That’s fantastic, Wanda! I love that you added in some greens, too!