Name: Southwest Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad - Instant Pot Brown Rice
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Hispanic
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of lime juice – 4 limes; the lime zest of one of the limes; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 tablespoon honey; 6 tablespoons of olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 cups of brown rice; 2 and 1/2 cups of water; 1/2 red onion diced; 1 bell pepper diced, any color; 1 and 1/2 cups of frozen corn thawed; 1 cup of parsley chopped; 3 stocks of celery, diced; 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed.

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Southwest Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad in white serving bowl with handle, lime slices twisted and parsley on top, on a wood cutting board, silver serving spoon on the right side, with a black small bowl with the rice salad in the background. parsley, celery, onion black bean in the rice.

If you are looking for a cold salad with lots of fiber and veggies for your family this Southwest Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad will soon become a family favorite. Quick and Easy to assemble and keeps cold in the fridge. Make the brown rice in the Instant Pot and you have the filling healthy rice salad in less than 30 minutes. The simple delicious dressing has the fresh flavor of lime.

Southwest vegetarian brown rice salad is so good you toss in corn, onion, black beans, and bell pepper you have the perfect make-ahead side dish for any family dinner. The rice salad will be the hit of any lunch party or outdoor cookout this year. Your friends will not believe how you can turn simple brown rice into a fabulous side dish. Make sure to add lots of parsley and lime for a scrumptious southwest lime dressing.

You may also be interested in the recipe: How to Make Easy Vegan Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad without Mint 🍽

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You can make the brown rice salad vegan by using a substitute for honey. However, there is some debate if honey is still part of a vegan eating lifestyle, but you can change up the recipe by using maple syrup. Both the honey or the maple syrup will bring out the zesty flavor of the lime and the nutty taste of the brown rice.

southwest brown rice salad in white serving bowl from the top down view, on a round wood board on a white washed wood table, silver spoon on the right side of the bowl 3 slices of lime twisted and parsley on top.

What Rice to make in a Cold Rice Salad

To get the most protein and fiber in your side dish use brown rice. Brown rice has a light brown color and has a nutrient-dense layer that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Brown rice is a whole grain and is the most nutrient dense rice for the perfect healthy recipe.

The next best rice to use would be Basmati rice. It also is a type of long-grain rice. Basmati rice is whiter in color for your picky family member but still has a nutty flavor and aroma.

Jasmine rice would be the next rice that will give a rich fragrant flavor to a rice salad. Jasmine rice is long grain rice and is slightly sticky.

You can use good old American white rice but I would not recommend it. White rice is over-refined and has the husk, bran, and wheat germ remove. All the good stuff and best flavors are taken out which makes for a dull salad.

top down view of white wood table, with a small black bowl with spoon with southwest brown rice salad with a gray and white stripped towel on the left side and the large serving bowl on the top right rice parsley, celery, onion black bean in the rice.

How to Make Brown Rice In the Instant Pot

The first tip for making rice in an Instant Pot is to alway spray the bottom of the inner pan with spray oil. Slightly spraying the bottom of the inner pan makes for an easy clean up.

Brown rice takes a little longer to cook in an Instant Pot than white, Basmati, or Jasmine. For every one cup of brown rice add 1 cup of water. Set the timer to high pressure for 15 minutes with 15 minutes natural release. If you like your brown rice slightly softer as I do, I add a scant 1/4 cup more of water.

For Basmati rice and Jasmine rice, it is 1 cup of rice to 1 and 1/2 cup of water. High pressure for 8 minutes with a 5-minute release. Again if you like your rice more soft allow a 10-minute release. I use a quick release so as to not burn the bottom of my rice.

southwest brown rice salad in a white serving bowl with 2 white handles, on a round wood board on a white wood table, silver serving spoon in the bowl, pepper, onion, corn, beans, celery in the rice with 3 slices of lime twisted and parsley on top.

Lime Southwest Salad Dressing

The lime southwest rice salad dressing is simple and quick. A beautiful rich flavor with a Mexican southwest zest of lots of lime. Simply add all the ingredients into a small mason jar or plastic container with a lid and shake. The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of olive oil but you can even cut this to 4 tablespoons.

How to Make Southwest Brown Rice Salad

There are three simple steps to a delicious vegetarian brown rice side dish. The Southwest Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad is a simple side dish that you and your family and friends will love all summer long for picnics, BBQs, backyard parties, graduations and birthdays. Especially as we all have more family members that do not eat meat having a hight protein, filling side dish will make everyone happy.

3 Steps to the Perfect Rice Side Dish

Make the brown rice in the Instant Pot. Add 2 cups of rice to 2 and 1/4 cups of water and set a 15 minutes high-temperature timer. Then allow a 15 minutes natural release. Allow rice to cool to room temperature. (If you do not have an Instant Pot or rice cooker, cook brown rice on the stove for 20 minutes. For stovetop cooking use 2 1/2 cups water to one cup of rice. For this recipe that would be 2 cups of brown rice to 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer without taking the lid off for 45 minutes.
While the rice is cooking make the dressing. Mix together and shake well:
- 1/2 cup of lime juice – 4 limes
- zest of one of the limes
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste

Chop up all the vegetables, celery, onion, bell peppers, open the cans of black beans and chickpeas and defrost the corn.
Mix together the rice, veggies, and dressing. Chil, and serve.

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Southwest Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad – Instant Pot Brown Rice

What Rice to make in a Cold Rice Salad

How to Make Brown Rice In the Instant Pot

Lime Southwest Salad Dressing

How to Make Southwest Brown Rice Salad

3 Steps to the Perfect Rice Side Dish