Cold Brown Rice Salad With Garden Veggies (THM:E)

overhead shot of a dark blue ceramic bowl of cold brown rice salad with garden veggies like cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, bell pepper, and diced onion, on a wooden backdrop surrounded by prettily sliced veggies

When it's too hot to cook, you want something quick and easy for dinner... like this cold brown rice salad with garden veggies. It's quintessentially summer with a refreshing vinaigrette dressing, healthy soaked rice, and fresh vegetables and herbs like cucumber and basil. The best part? You don't even have to break a sweat! It's Trim Healthy Mama-friendly, too!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Soaking Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours

Servings 5 people

Author Dawn Yoder

Ingredients

For the rice:

1 cup brown rice
2 cups pure water ideally warm
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or other acidic medium such as lemon juice or Kombucha
1/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt if desired

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

For the garden veggies:

1/2 cup red onion chopped
1/2 cup green pepper diced
1/2 cup cucumber thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes whole

Instructions

To cook the rice...

Combine rice, water, and acidic medium in a pot.
Cover and leave on the counter for 7 to 8 hours.
When ready to cook, add salt if desired.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover.
Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, or just until all the water is absorbed and slightly al denté.
When cooked, remove from heat.
Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
Let 2 cups of the cooked rice cool for the salad, and package the rest for later.

To make the dressing...

In a small bowl or Mason jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients. For the most flavorful dressing, do this when you start the rice soaking.

To assemble...

Put soaked, cooked, and cooled rice into a mixing bowl along with the veggies and vinaigrette.
Stir well to make sure the whole salad is well coated with the dressing.
Enjoy right away or, for best flavor, refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight. The rice will soften the longer it sits and the salad will be more flavorful, but it's still delicious freshly made.
Keeps for several days in the fridge.