Description
Cowboy Rice Salad is a vibrant and hearty dish combining nutrient-rich brown rice with fresh vegetables, zesty lime dressing, and smoky spices. This salad packs a punch of flavors with chipotle powder, cumin, and honey, making it a perfect side or light meal that’s served cold or at room temperature.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 1/3 cup lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (or substitute with smoked paprika + cayenne pepper)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, minced)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Salad
- 4 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper, diced
- 1 green capsicum/bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 x 400g (14oz) corn kernels, drained
- 1 x 400g (14oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tomatoes, watery seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a jar, combine lime juice, olive oil, honey, chipotle powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well blended. Taste and adjust seasoning or lime juice as needed to balance the flavors.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooked brown rice, diced red and green capsicums, chopped red onion, drained corn kernels, rinsed black beans, diced tomatoes, and roughly chopped coriander leaves. Pour the dressing over the salad.
- Toss and Serve: Gently toss all ingredients together until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately for a fresh and vibrant salad, or refrigerate and enjoy the flavors melding even more the next day.
Notes
- You can substitute chipotle powder with a mix of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper for a similar smoky-spicy flavor.
- Removing watery seeds from tomatoes helps to avoid excess liquid in the salad, keeping it fresh and crisp.
- This salad can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, making it great for meal prepping.
- Using brown rice adds fiber and nutrients compared to white rice.
- Adjust the amount of honey and lime juice to your preferred taste balance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes (assuming rice is pre-cooked)
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keywords: cowboy rice salad, brown rice salad, Tex-Mex salad, chipotle salad dressing, healthy rice salad, vegetarian rice salad, gluten free salad
