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Southwest Brown Rice Salad by Our Best Bites

Southwestern Brown Rice Salad

5 from 8 votes
A light salad, served cold, made with rice and zingy southwest flavors.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill Time (for rice) 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings6 servings
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Equipment

Ingredients

Brown Rice

  • 1 ½ cups brown rice long grain
  • 12 cups water 3 quarts
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar or citrus juice

Salad

  • 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 1 lime about 2 tablespoons
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 10 ounces grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and finely minced (optional, if you'd like to leave out)
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • 5-7 green onions chopped
  • 1 avocado, medium peeled and diced

Instructions

Brown Rice

  • Fill a large pot with the 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • When the water is boiling, add the salt and rice and cook uncovered for 22-25 minutes (or until the rice is tender), stirring occasionally. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and spread evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
  • Drizzle with the citrus juice or vinegar and toss to combine. Let sit for a few minutes for water to drain completely and then transfer to a serving dish to serve or cover and store in the refrigerator. Cool completely.

Salad

  • In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, and cumin. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, gently toss together the rice, tomato,  jalapeno, cilantro, and green onions. Drizzle with the dressing and salt and pepper to taste.  Gently toss in avocado, and serve immediately, or refrigerate.
    Note: I like to mix everything but the avocado, and chill for a couple hours before serving. Just toss the avocado in before you serve so it stays nice and green.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 806mg, Potassium: 285mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 566IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brown rice salad, Southwestern Brown Rice Salad
Calories: 246kcal
Author: Cook's Illustrated
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