Southwest Brown Rice Salad

Brown rice is tossed with black beans, corn, red onion, red pepper, and a southwest-flavored dressing to make up this fantastic salad! It’s a great make-ahead option that is perfect for parties, hot summer nights, and quick lunches.

Southwest brown rice salad is the ultimate summer salad! It’s perfect as a side to basically any protein, makes a delicious vegetarian lunch, and you definitely can’t go wrong showing up to a party with this salad in tow.

Not only is it really simple, but it’s light and full of bright flavor. We’ve got chewy brown rice, black beans, corn, bell pepper, red onions, cilantro, and a zippy vinaigrette to bring it all together.

My favorite ways to enjoy this tasty salad are on its own (of course), alongside blackened shrimp/salmon/chicken, or topped with a hard-boiled egg and a yummy sauce like cilantro pesto. This recipe makes a big salad so you can enjoy it all week long, making it a great meal prep option. It’s also something I love making for parties because it can easily serve a crowd and everyone always loves it!

There is nothing I love more than a satisfying grain salad hanging out in my fridge. Especially when it’s too darn hot outside to really cook anything. Grab a bowl and maybe a margarita and you’ve got yourself the perfect summer night!

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Southwest Brown Rice Salad

Total Time

1 hr

 

Brown rice is tossed with black beans, corn, red onion, red pepper, and a southwest-flavored dressing to make up this fantastic salad! It’s a great make-ahead option that is perfect for parties, hot summer nights, and quick lunches.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 1 ½ Cups Brown Rice, rinsed
• 2 ½ Cups Water
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 12oz. Bag Frozen Corn (I get the one that you can microwave in the bag)
• 1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
• Handful of Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, chopped

For the Dressing:

• 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice, from about 2-3 limes
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• ½ Teaspoon Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Honey*
• 5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Combine the rice, water, salt and pepper into a 9×9-inch square baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Fluff the rice with a fork and place in a colander to rinse with cold water. Place the rice in a large bowl and toss in the corn, black beans, red onion, red pepper, and cilantro.
2. In a small mason jar combine all of the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving or pop it in the fridge if serving later.