Brown Rice Salad is fresh, vibrant, and bursting with flavor from roasted red peppers, cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a tangy lemon dressing.
Author’s Note
The Brown Rice Salad I Crave Constantly!
I’ve made salads with quinoa, lentils, wild rice, bulgur, and farro, so it only made sense to give brown rice a try! This salad is perfect because, unlike most green salads, it won’t wilt once you add the dressing. No soggy greens here—just fresh, hearty rice that stays tasty for days in the fridge.
What I love about this Mediterranean-inspired salad is how versatile it is. You can change it up based on your mood or whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
It’s also a great make-ahead option for lunch or dinner. It tastes amazing and is a simple way to sneak more whole grains into your meals.
The Secret To Perfect Brown Rice: Boil It!
Boiling brown rice is the best method for this salad. It cooks more evenly and results in a tender, fluffy texture.
Why not steam? Steaming often leaves the outer layer too firm, which can cause uneven cooking or clumping.
Tips for perfect boiled brown rice:
- Use a large pot so the rice has room to move and cook evenly
- Rinse rice before cooking to remove excess starch and reduce sticking
- Salt the water before adding rice (1 teaspoon per 4 cups of water) to season it from the inside out
- Bring salted water to a boil before adding rice for even cooking
- Cool rice completely before adding to the salad to prevent wilting the vegetables
Brown Rice Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quick Tip |
|---|---|
| Cucumber | Choose English or Persian cucumbers for crisp texture, minimal seeds, and no need to peel. |
| Roasted Red Peppers | Grab a jar of roasted peppers near the pickles aisle. |
| Sun-Dried Tomatoes (julienne, with herbs) | Come pre-seasoned and pre-cut, adding big flavor fast. |
| Red Onion | Slice thin, then soak in ice-cold water 5 minutes to tame the bite and keep the crunch. |
| Flat-Leaf Parsley | Flat-leaf boosts fresh herb flavor; skip the stems for best texture. |
| Feta Cheese | Crumble over the salad for creamy, salty pops that balance the veggies. |
Variations
Switch Things Up!
- Add other fresh vegetables such as sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or snap peas.
- To make this salad dairy–free, leave out the cheese or use a vegan feta cheese.
- Swap out the lemon vinaigrette for a Greek salad dressing.
- If you want to make this Brown Rice Salad a complete meal, add some protein like grilled chicken, grilled flank steak, shrimp, chickpeas, or tofu.
- Add some chopped fresh cilantro, dill, or basil in addition to or instead of the parsley.
- Add some diced avocado for a creamy and rich addition.
- Top with some toasted nuts like pine nuts, pepitas, or almonds for a crunchy contrast.
- You can also switch up the grain by using quinoa, bulgur, farro, or barley instead of brown rice for a different texture and nutritional profile.
Brown Rice Salad Recipe Tips
- Finely dice veggies so every bite is easy to eat and flavors blend evenly.
- Shake dressing in a wide-mouth jar for quick, mess-free mixing.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the brightest hit of citrus.
- Grab a microplane and citrus press to zest and juice in seconds.
- Taste and tweak salt, pepper, or lemon just before serving.
Storage
Leftovers?
Brown Rice Salad is tastiest fresh, yet keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Chill leftovers in an airtight container. For the best bite, stash red onion and feta in separate cups and fold them in right before serving.
More Mediterranean-Inspired Favorites:
Pasta Salads
Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe
Lunch
Mediterranean Wrap
Appetizers
Pita Chips (Air Fry or Bake!)
Pasta And Pizza
Chicken Orzo (One Pot!)
Brown Rice Salad
Equipment
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice rinsed and drained, see note 1
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup diced cucumber see note 2
- 2/3 cup finely diced roasted red peppers see note 3
- 1/2 cup finely diced sun-dried tomatoes in oil see note 4
- 2/3 cup finely diced red onion 1 small
- 1/3 packed cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- kalamata olives optional, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Rice: In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 teaspoons salt to the water to season. Add rinsed and drained rice to the pot, and boil it uncovered until tender. (Cooking times vary depending on the type of rice: medium/long-grain rice takes around 30–35 minutes. Brown basmati rice takes around 12–18 minutes.) Before draining rice, taste a piece to be sure it is cooked to your liking. Drain rice well in a colander, then pour it back into the (completely dry) pot. Cover pot with a lid and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes to steam. Remove lid, fluff rice with a fork, and let cool completely before using it in the salad. (Either pop it in the fridge or let stand at room temperature.)
- Dressing: Zest and juice lemon to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 1-1/2 tablespoons juice. Add lemon zest and juice with all dressing ingredients to a wide-mouth jar and season to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Seal and shake well to combine. Store dressing in fridge until ready to use, giving it a good shake before dressing the salad.
- Salad: To prepare salad ingredients, finely dice cucumber, red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, and parsley. Add diced vegetables to the cooled rice; if desired, add some thinly sliced kalamata olives as well. Pour dressing over salad (adding as much as you’d like), and gently toss everything together. Taste salad and adjust seasonings as needed, keeping in mind that the feta cheese will add some saltiness. Top individual servings with cheese, adding as much as you’d like.
Video
Recipe Notes
- To remove the “bite” of red onion, soak the diced onion in cold water for 5–10 minutes before adding to the salad.
- Make sure to grab flat-leaf Italian parsley instead of curly parsley for more flavor.
- When making the dressing, a few kitchen tools make prep a breeze—I love zesting the lemon with a microplane and juicing with this citrus juicer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Brown Rice Salad FAQs
Add salt! Cooking rice it without salt is a huge miss when it comes to flavor. Additionally, the flavorful lemon dressing adds loads of flavor to brown rice!
If you don’t rinse brown rice before cooking, it may have a powdery texture and a less appealing flavor. Rinsing removes excess starch and potential dirt from the rice.
Yes, you can use white rice instead of brown rice for this salad. There is also a bit less flavor without the nuttiness coming from the brown rice.
