Brown Rice Salad with Vegetables and Honey Mustard Dressing

Name: Brown Rice Salad with Vegetables and Honey Mustard Dressing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (285 g) long-grain brown rice, rinsed under cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 6 cups (1420 ml) water; 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt; 1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice, or coarsely grated; ½ small (about 2 oz) (60 g) red onion, very finely diced; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems finely chopped; ¼ cup (35 g) roasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted (optional); 3 tbsp (45 g) Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp (42 g) honey; 3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¼ tsp (0.6 g) black pepper, freshly ground

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Chewy, nutty brown rice tossed with crisp bell pepper, sweet carrot, and sharp red onion in a tangy honey Dijon dressing. It's a make-ahead salad that gets better as it chills, and it works well for picnics, potlucks, and packed lunches.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 1 hr 40 min
Total: 2 hr 40 min
Makes: About 7 cups (6 side-dish servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the rice
1½ cups (285 g) long-grain brown rice, rinsed under cold water until the water runs mostly clear
6 cups (1420 ml) water
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
For the salad
1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice, or coarsely grated
½ small (about 2 oz) (60 g) red onion, very finely diced
3 whole (45 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems finely chopped
¼ cup (35 g) roasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted (optional)
For the dressing
3 tbsp (45 g) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (42 g) honey
3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp (0.6 g) black pepper, freshly ground

Equipment (8)

Large saucepan or pot with lid (4-quart / 3.8 L)
Fine-mesh strainer
Rimmed baking sheet (13×18-inch / 33×46 cm)
Large mixing bowl (4-quart / 3.8 L or larger)
Small bowl or jar for the dressing
Whisk
Chef's knife and cutting board
Box grater (optional, for carrots)

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2 hours 40 minutes in total. Most of that is the rice cooling and the salad chilling, so you can do the rest while you wait.
Use long-grain brown rice. Short-grain rice turns sticky and clumpy once chilled.
Dice the vegetables while the rice simmers so nothing sits idle.
Clear room in the fridge for a large bowl, and a rimmed baking sheet if you have space for it.

1
Rinse the rice
- Put 1½ cups (285 g) brown rice in a fine-mesh strainer.
- Rinse under cold running water for about 1 minute, stirring with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear.
- Shake off the excess water.
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Ready when: Water draining from the rice looks only slightly cloudy.
Tip: Rinsing removes surface starch, so the grains stay separate once chilled.
2
Boil the rice
- In a 4-quart (3.8 L) pot, bring 6 cups (1420 ml) water and 1 tsp salt to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Stir in the rice.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water simmers steadily, and partially cover.
- Cook for 28 to 30 minutes.
- Start tasting at 28 minutes.
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Ready when: Grains are tender with a pleasant chew and no hard, chalky center. Many grains will have split open slightly.
Tip: Cooking in plenty of water like pasta keeps the rice from turning gummy. Don't stir more than once or twice.
3
Drain and steam
- Pour the rice into the fine-mesh strainer set over the sink and drain well for 1 minute.
- Return the rice to the empty hot pot, cover, and let it steam off the heat for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Grains look plump and dry on the surface rather than wet or shiny.
4
Spread and cool
- Tip the rice onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread it into a thin, even layer.
- Let it cool for about 20 minutes, fluffing once or twice with a fork, until it's just warm or room temperature.
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Ready when: Rice feels barely warm to the touch and the grains separate easily.
Tip: Don't add the dressing to piping-hot rice. It will soak in unevenly and the vegetables will go soft.
5
Prep the vegetables
- While the rice cools, cut the bell pepper and carrots into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice, or coarsely grate the carrots if you prefer.
- Very finely dice the red onion.
- Thinly slice the scallions and finely chop the parsley.
- Put the red onion in the large mixing bowl and set the rest aside.
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Ready when: Vegetable pieces are small and similar in size, so every forkful has a bit of each.
Tip: Dice the onion very fine. Raw red onion is strong, and small pieces blend in better.
6
Whisk the dressing
- In a small bowl or jar, combine 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, the grated garlic, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle in ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil while whisking, until the dressing is thick and creamy.
- If using a jar, shake it hard for 15 seconds.
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Ready when: Dressing is emulsified, with no separate pools of oil, and tastes bright and tangy with a little sweetness.
Tip: If the honey is stiff, warm the spoon under hot water first so it slides off cleanly.
7
Dress the rice
- Add the cooled rice to the bowl with the red onion.
- Pour over about three-quarters of the dressing and fold gently with a large spoon or spatula until every grain is coated.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes so the rice absorbs the dressing and the onion softens.
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Ready when: Rice looks glossy and evenly coated, with no dry patches.
Tip: Keep the last quarter of the dressing in reserve to refresh the salad after chilling.
8
Fold in the vegetables
- Add the bell pepper, carrots, scallions, and parsley to the rice.
- Fold gently until evenly mixed.
- If using sunflower seeds, hold them back until serving so they stay crunchy.
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Ready when: The colorful vegetables are evenly spread throughout the rice.
9
Chill the salad
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours, so the flavors meld and the salad turns cool and refreshing.
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Ready when: Salad is cold all the way through.
10
Adjust and serve
- Stir the salad and taste it.
- Rice absorbs dressing as it sits, so drizzle in some of the reserved dressing until it's moist and tangy again.
- Add a pinch of salt if the flavor seems flat.
- Fold in the sunflower seeds, if using, and serve cold or cool.
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Ready when: Salad tastes balanced, with a tangy-sweet dressing and a clear mustard bite, and the rice looks moist, not dry.
Tip: Taste when it's cold. Chilled food tastes less seasoned than warm food.

Good to know

Tips

Cool the rice fully before adding vegetables. Warm rice softens the peppers and makes the salad taste dull.
Dress the rice in two stages. Rice keeps drinking up dressing as it chills, so saving some gives you a fresh finish at serving time.
To add protein, fold in 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) of drained, rinsed chickpeas or 1½ cups (about 200 g) of diced cooked chicken.
For the best texture, cut the vegetables the same size as the rice grains, or just a bit larger.

Make ahead

"Make the whole salad up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Hold back the sunflower seeds and the reserved dressing until serving. The rice can also be cooked and cooled up to 2 days ahead and stored airtight in the fridge, then dressed with the vegetables on the day."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hot out). Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the vegetables turn watery and soft when thawed. Serve cold, or let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to take the chill off. Stir in a splash of olive oil and vinegar to refresh it."

Substitutions

long-grain brown rice → wild rice blend or brown basmati rice. Brown basmati cooks in about the same time. Check wild rice blends for the package time, since some need longer.
honey → maple syrup. Use the same amount. This also makes the salad vegan.
apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. Use the same amount. Rice vinegar works too, but taste first because it's milder.
roasted sunflower seeds → toasted chopped pecans or slivered almonds. Use the same amount. Skip for a nut-free salad.