Brown Rice Salad with Red Peppers Almonds and Lemon Dressing Recipe
A vibrant and nutritious Brown Rice Salad combining cooked brown rice with red bell peppers, scallions, dried currants, toasted almonds and pine nuts, fresh parsley, and capers. Tossed in a zesty lemon garlic dressing, this salad is perfect served at room temperature or cold as a wholesome and flavorful dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes (if cooking rice from scratch)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cooked brown rice, cooled
- 2 cups red bell peppers (red capsicum), finely diced
- 1 cup scallions (green onions), finely sliced
- ½ cup dried currants
- ½ cup blanched almonds, toasted
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup capers, rinsed
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled brown rice, finely diced red bell peppers, sliced scallions, dried currants, toasted blanched almonds, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and rinsed capers. Mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and crushed garlic cloves until the mixture is well blended.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients in the large bowl. Toss gently to coat all the components evenly with the dressing.
- Season: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss again and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
- Serve: This salad can be served at room temperature or cold, making it a versatile and refreshing dish suitable for various occasions.
Notes
- For quick preparation, use precooked or instant brown rice available in microwavable pouches.
- To cook brown rice from scratch, boil 1 cup of brown rice in salted water for about 40 minutes until tender.
- Blanched almonds have their skins removed and can be toasted in a moderate oven for 10 minutes or quickly in a frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes until lightly browned.
- Toasting nuts in a frying pan is quicker and imparts a fresh roasted flavor.
- Be sure to add enough salt to highlight and balance the flavors in the salad.
Keywords: brown rice salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, quick lunch, Mediterranean salad, rice salad with nuts and fruits
