Heart-Healthy Refreshing Rice Salad

Elevate your healthy meal game with this Heart-Healthy Refreshing Rice Salad, a wholesome, vibrant dish that's as nutritious as it is satisfying. Featuring nutty brown rice as the base, this recipe is loaded with crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, and a punch of flavor from red onion and fresh parsley. Drizzled in a zesty olive oil and lemon juice dressing infused with garlic, this salad delivers a refreshing tang in every bite. Creamy avocado adds a luscious touch while boosting heart-healthy fats, making this dish perfect for light lunches, picnics, or as a crowd-pleasing side for dinner. Easy to prepare, naturally vegan, and brimming with colorful vegetables, this chilled or room-temperature salad is a nourishing way to keep things fresh and delicious. Ideal for meal prep or quick, guilt-free meals, this rice salad is a celebration of flavor and wellness in every forkful.

Nutriscore Rating: 74/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:50 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 0.5 small red onion
• 0.5 cup parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium avocado

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the brown rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer the rice for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool completely.

Step 3

While the rice is cooling, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the red onion and parsley.

Step 4

In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice, cucumber, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and parsley.

Step 5

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.

Step 6

Pour the dressing over the rice and vegetable mixture, then gently toss to combine all ingredients well.

Step 7

Peel and dice the avocado, and gently fold it into the salad just before serving.

Step 8

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1447.6g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	853.1

Total Fat 53.2g	0%
Saturated Fat 8.2g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.5g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1252.4mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 89.2g	0%
Dietary Fiber 21.2g	0%
Total Sugars 16.6g
Protein 13.9g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 187.9mg	0%
Iron 5.5mg	0%
Potassium 2008.6mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 53.7%

Protein: 6.2%

Carbs: 40.0%