Looking for a tasty and healthy Mediterranean-inspired dish? Try this Brown Rice Salad! It brings together the nutty flavor of brown rice with the fresh and vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean. It's filled with crisp cucumbers, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and crumbled feta cheese, all tossed in a flavorful lemon dressing.
RICE: To prepare the brown rice for this salad, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add 2 tsp of salt to the water. Add the rinsed and drained rice to the pot, and boil it uncovered until it becomes tender. (Cooking time will vary slightly, depending on the type of rice used. For medium/long-grain rice, this will take around 30-35 minutes. For brown basmati rice, it will take around 12-18 minutes.) Before draining the rice, taste a piece to be sure it is cooked to your liking. Drain the rice well in a colander, and then pour it back into the (completely dry) pot. Cover the pot with a lid and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to steam. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and let it cool completely before using it in the salad. (Either pop it in the fridge or let stand at room temperature.)
DRESSING: While the rice is cooling, prepare the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a wide-mouth jar and season to taste. (I add 1/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.) Add the lid and shake well to combine. Store the dressing in the fridge until ready to use, giving it a good shake again before dressing the salad.
SALAD: To prepare the salad ingredients, finely dice the cucumber, red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, and parsley. Add these diced vegetables to the cooled rice; if desired, add some thinly sliced kalamata olives as well. Pour the dressing over the salad (adding as much as you'd like), and gently toss everything together. Taste the salad, and adjust the seasonings as needed, keeping in mind that the feta cheese will add some saltiness. Top individual servings with cheese, adding as much or as little as you'd like.
STORAGE: Brown Rice Salad is best enjoyed fresh, but it's still delicious for a few days after making it. When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will last for 3-4 days. However, it's worth noting that the rice and vegetables may lose some of their texture and flavor over time.To ensure the best possible flavor and texture, store the red onion and feta cheese separately from the rest of the salad. This helps to maintain their texture and flavor for longer. The red onion can release liquids and overpower the salad's flavor, while the feta cheese can become mushy and lose its texture if left in the dressing for too long. Adding them to the salad just before serving will ensure the best quality and flavor.
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Notes
Note 1: Brown Rice: OR if you already have cooked brown rice, you'll need 2-1/2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice. Here is our favorite way to make a big batch of brown rice and use in recipes (like this one!) throughout the week!Note 2: Cucumber: English or Persian/mini salad cucumbers are a superior choice. They have a less bitter taste, fewer seeds, and thin skin that doesn't need to be peeled. They're more flavorful and crispier than regular cucumbers.Note 3: Roasted red peppers: You can buy jars of roasted red peppers at the store; they are usually near things like pickles, capers, and artichoke hearts. We love the soft texture and smokey flavor of roasted red peppers, but a raw chopped red pepper is also delicious in this salad recipe.Note 4: Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil: Make sure to grab the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil-- not dried-- for maximum flavor and texture.Note 5: Salad tips:
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 — we love zesting the lemon with a microplane and then juicing with this citrus juicer.