This delicious Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad will keep you feeling satisfied all dang day long! With protein-packed black beans, fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and a lime-spiked dressing, this has got healthy and gluten-free written allll over it😋
Yesterday, I was standing in my kitchen, fridge door open.
And I'm just staring into the abyss thinking....well, what exactly?
Probably thinking that somethings' gonna jump out at me?!
(Wouldn't that be nice.)
But you know what I'm talkin' about because I know you've been there.
Well I've got good news friend.
The antidote for the "fridge-abyss" stare: this Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad!
This simple salad with brown rice and black beans is a sure fire way to protect against not knowing what the HECK to eat!
With protein, healthy carbs, vitamins and minerals, this black bean and brown rice salad is a solid 10/10 for sure🏅
Jump to:
📝Ingredients for Black Bean Salad with Brown Rice
- Cooked brown rice - rice is your new BFF when you go gluten-free because rice is naturally gluten-free! And the brown rice in this salad adds some nice texture
- Black beans - rinsed and drained. A humble but major nutritional powerhouse, black beans in salads really up the protein and potassium content
- Cucumber and cherry tomatoes - fresh veggies are always a good idea
- Slivered or sliced almonds - adds some crunch and protein with healthy fats
- Mint - for a fresh hit of herbs😄
🍋Lime dressing ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Limes, for fresh lime juice
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Salt
🙋♀️Does Rice Have Gluten?
What you need to know when you first go gluten-free about rice🍚
🔪How to make this black bean and brown rice salad
Place the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
🥗What to serve with brown rice and black bean salad
This is an easy, gluten-free salad to make anytime!
Here's some ideas on where to use this simple salad:
- 🐔Serve this salad with chicken! Check out this recipe for cast iron pan roasted chicken breast
- 🥣Bring it to a potluck and watch it get gobbled up (and have everyone ask you for the recipe)
- 🥗Make it as a part of your meal prep for the week and add some hard boiled eggs and crackers to divided containers for on-the-go lunches
🥡Storage and Leftovers
This brown rice black bean salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
This salad does not freeze well so eat it all up or bring it to your neighbours - they'll thank you😄
💡Top Tip
If you're making this ahead of time, I would store the salad without the toasted almonds on top. That way, the nuts stay as crunchy as possible. Just bring the nuts out when you're going to serve the salad and sprinkle them on top.
Ok, I hope you love this Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad like we do❣️
If you try it, please rate and comment below - I would love to hear from you!
~April
🥗More Salad Recipes
Who says you can't win friends with salad?! Because you can with these!
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📖 Recipe
Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad with Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
- 1 large cucumber, diced about 2 cups
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed; 19oz or about 2 cups
- ¼ cup silvered almonds
- Mint leaves
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 limes for juicing
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions. For brown rice, I find 2 cups of water (or gluten-free broth) to 1 cup of rice works well. cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- While rice cooks, dice the cucumber and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Toast silvered almonds in a pan over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes or until browned. Side aside to cool. Juice the limes and whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
- Add chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, drained black beans, and cooled rice in a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss gently to combine.
- Place the salad in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Top with toasted almonds and torn mint right before serving or divide between lunch prep containers.
Notes
- Add 2 cups of water (or gluten-free broth) to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil
- Add 1 cup of dry brown rice, turn down heat to low-medium, cook about 13 minutes
- Once you can see that most of the water has been absorbed and the rice is starting to have spaces between it, turn the heat off
- Let the rice continue to absorb the water for about 5-8 more minutes until the water is absorbed
- Fluff rice with a fork
Gerarda says
I will making this, thank you ????
April Saunders says
You're very welcome, Gerarda!