If you are looking for an easy and healthy meal for a crowd, this brown rice salad is packed full of flavours and textures is sure to hit the spot! This vegetarian and gluten-free dish is perfect for make ahead lunches, potlucks or a side dish to accompany a big family feast.
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One of the best things about food blogging, is that there’s usually a tasty treat in the house I’ve made up! This brown rice salad is something I’ve been dipping in to all week and sending off with Mr. Slow The Cook Down for some tasty desk lunches.
I wanted to make a winter rice salad, full of flavours of the season – sweet cranberries, earthy walnuts and sunflower seeds and salty feta mixed with nutty cooked whole grain brown rice. All topped off with a creamy and tangy poppy seed dressing. Winter salad perfection!
For more salads, be sure to check out my Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and No Mayo Potato Salad.
Why you will love this recipe!
- Make ahead: This is a great recipe for meal prep throughout the week. It's perfect for quick to grab lunches and can be enjoyed warm or cold. The leftovers are so tasty!
- Good for you: Full of healthy whole grains, this is a great recipe for a well balanced lunch and it will keep you feeling full.
- Versatile: This brown rice salad can easily be served as a main or a side to accompany your favorite meals.
- Dietary info: This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian.
Ingredients
For the salad
- Rice: I used a wholegrain brown rice blend for this salad. You can use regular brown rice, but honestly, it's worth spending a little extra for dish that's full of flavor and texture.
- Arugula: Baby arugula adds a slight peppery taste as well as some color to the dish. You could also use baby spinach.
- Walnuts: The nutty flavor of the walnuts work great with the rice and add a nice crunchy texture. You can use other nuts like pecans or almonds.
- Cranberries: Cranberries add a lovely pop of tart sweet flavor. Use dried rather than fresh.
- Feta cheese: For a creamy texture. Goat cheese would also work well.
- Pumpkin seeds: For a nice crunch as well as lots of added nutrients.
For the dressing
This recipe will make more dressing than you need, but will keep well in the fridge. You can also use a store-bought or your favorite homemade dressing.
The ingredients for this poppy seed dressing are:
- White wine vinegar: You can also use apple cider or fresh lemon juice.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar, but honey or maple syrup will both work well too.
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a nice rounded flavor, you can use regular in a pinch.
- Seasonings: Pepper, sea salt, poppy seeds, dijon mustard and mayonnaise
How to make brown rice salad
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Boil and cook the rice and let cool.
- Mix together the ingredients for the salad dressing.
- Mix the rice together with the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.
Recipe Variations
- You can make this recipe with other grains like quinoa, couscous and farro.
- Add in additional veggies like cucumber, red onion, black olives or red pepper.
- Swap the pumpkin seeds for pistachios, pine nuts or sliced almonds.
- Make it heartier by adding chickpeas or shredded chicken.
- Add in some herbs. Fresh parsley, cilantro, chives or dill will work great.
Serving Suggestions
As well as making a hearty lunch, this dish will be the perfect side salad to go along with festive buffets, and it's great served alongside salmon and chicken.
Full of festive ingredients, a huge bowl of brown rice salad will sit perfectly on any Christmas table. This is also a vegetarian and gluten-free dish, so it’s great to reach for when you have guests with different needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brown rice has a chewier texture and has a nutty flavor compared to white rice. The grains hold up really well in a salad and the taste is less bland. I'd recommend sticking with brown rice for this recipe.
I made this with a wholegrain brown rice blend, but this recipe will work well with most types of rice, wild rice would be a great option. I have found, that when rice is the star of the dish, it is better to spend a little extra and get a premium quality one for the best textures and flavors.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can make the salad dressing several days ahead of time, as well as the rice salad. Stir in the dressing just before serving.
Rice dishes have to be the king when it comes to meal prep, this dish will keep fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Nutritional Info
This is a great heart healthy dish! It’s exactly why I made a huge batch of it to have for easy lunches and add as a side for easy weeknight meals – healthy and tasty without even thinking about it! The brown rice is a slow burning carb so it provides long lasting energy; it’s perfect as a post workout meal if you are that way inclined 😉
Brown rice is also a rich source of B-vitamins, zinc, fibre and magnesium so it’s a great way to get the goodness in!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Take care not to overcook the rice or it can become mushy.
- Let the rice cool before mixing with the other salad ingredients or the arugula will wilt.
- Yield for the poppy seed dressing is around 1 ½ cups. You can store any left over in an airtight bottle for a week in the fridge. Use as much or as little as you would like.
This recipe will easily make 8 lunches, but it would also be a great recipe to serve as a side dish or to take along to a potluck or bbq. The Brown Rice Salad can be made several days before, make the poppy seed dressing separately and pour over the salad just before serving.
More Rice Recipes
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Winter Brown Rice Salad with Feta and Cranberries
Ingredients
For the rice salad:
- 2.5 cups wholegrain brown rice blend (16oz) (454g)
- 2 ounces arugula (55g)
- 4.5 ounces walnut halves (125g)
- 7 ounces dried cranberries (200g)
- 5 ounces crumbled feta (150g)
- 3.5 ounces pumpkin seeds (100g)
For the poppy seed dressing:
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar (120ml)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- pinch salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (120ml)
Instructions
For the rice salad
- Cook the rice according to the instructions. Once cooked (do not over cook), drain and put to one side to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, add to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss well.
For the poppy seed dressing
- Whisk together the white wine and sugar.
- Add in the poppy seeds, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and whisk together.
- Slowly add the olive oil while whisking, until the dressing has come together.
- When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the brown rice salad and toss.
Notes
- Take care not to overcook the rice or it can become mushy.
- Let the rice cool before mixing with the other salad ingredients or the arugula will wilt.
- Yield for the poppy seed dressing is around 1 ½ cups. You can store any left over in an airtight bottle for a week in the fridge. Use as much or as little as you would like.
- Nutritional information based on one of 8 servings without dressing, and is and estimate only.
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