Southwestern Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
For a healthy and easy summer side dish, try my Southwestern brown rice and black bean salad with tomatoes, avocados, cilantro and a spicy lime dressing. It's great warm or cold and both gluten-free and vegan as well.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 425kcal
Ingredients
Rice Black Bean Salad
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice, such as basmati or jasmine
- 2 14-oz cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and blotted dry
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2-3 scallions, sliced
Lime Dressing
- 2 tbsp lime juice, approx. one lime
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
Instructions
- Cook the rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker according to the package directions.
- Prepare the black beans, tomatoes, avocado,cilantro, and scallions.
- Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, spices, and garlic for the lime dressing.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
- Taste the salad and adjust the seasonings: add more spice, salt, or lime juice as needed. Serve the salad warm or cold, depending on your preferences.
Notes
- Spice: The amount of spice is up to you. Start with a little if you're not sure then taste and add more until you are happy.
- Additions: Great additions to the salad include fresh corn kernels cut off the cob, diced bell peppers, diced red onion, or diced mango.
- Rice: I use either brown basmati or brown jasmine (depending on what I find at the store). Either cooks up into individual grains which fluff up in the salad quite nicely.
- Rice Cooker: I recommend either using a rice cooker or a multicooker (such as the Instant Pot).
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal