Cowboy Rice Salad Recipe
A vibrant and flavorful Cowboy Rice Salad combining wholesome brown rice with fresh vegetables, black beans, and a zesty chipotle-lime dressing. This easy-to-make salad is perfect for a healthy lunch or a side dish at gatherings, offering a delicious blend of smoky, tangy, and sweet flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes (for cooking brown rice, if not pre-cooked)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
- Diet: Vegetarian
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 then diced
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: Place all dressing ingredients including lime juice, olive oil, honey, chipotle powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into a jar. Shake well to combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning or lime juice according to your preference.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooked brown rice, diced red and green capsicum, chopped red onion, drained corn kernels, rinsed black beans, diced tomatoes, and chopped coriander leaves. Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss everything gently to coat evenly.
- Serve: The salad is fantastic served immediately but also tastes great after resting in the refrigerator for a few hours or even the next day, allowing flavors to meld beautifully.
Notes
- This salad can be made ahead and refrigerated for enhanced flavor development.
- You can substitute chipotle powder with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper for a spicy smoky flavor.
- For a vegan version, replace honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Watery tomato seeds are removed to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- Use cooked brown rice that is cooled before mixing for the best texture.
Keywords: cowboy rice salad, brown rice salad, black bean salad, corn salad, Tex-Mex salad, vegetarian salad, healthy rice salad
Find it online: https://cookedbycleo.com/cowboy-rice-salad-recipe/
