California Brown Rice Salad (Vegan)
Submitted by Loobuns
A refreshing vegan brown rice salad tossed with fruit cocktail, tomato, celery, and green onions in a tangy tarragon-Dijon vinaigrette. Light, nutty, and naturally sweet.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
20 minREADY
45 minThis is the salad that proves brown rice doesn’t have to be boring.
Chilled brown rice gets tossed with California fruit cocktail, diced tomato, crisp celery, and sliced green onions. The nutty chew of the rice plays off the juicy sweetness of the fruit in a way that’s surprisingly addictive.
The dressing is clever. It uses reserved fruit cocktail liquid mixed with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, tarragon, and a touch of garlic powder. No dairy, no eggs, totally plant-based, and full of bright, layered flavor.
Pack this for a picnic, serve it at a summer cookout, or keep a batch in the fridge for quick vegan lunches all week.
Pro Tips
- Chill the cooked rice completely before tossing. Warm rice absorbs too much dressing and turns mushy.
- Save that fruit cocktail liquid! It adds natural sweetness to the vinaigrette without any added sugar.
- Let the finished salad chill for at least 30 minutes so the tarragon and mustard flavors really soak in.
Ingredients
Directions
Drain fruit cocktail, reserving ¼ cup liquid; save remainder for other uses.
Cook rice according to package directions; chill thoroughly.
Toss rice with fruit cocktail, tomato, celery and green onions.
Combine reserved fruit cocktail liquid with vinegar, oil, mustard, tarragon and garlic powder.
Stir into rice mixture; chill for flavors to blend.
Comments
