With springtime BBQs in full swing and summertime cookouts on the horizon, I’m always on the lookout for a delicious side dish to make for friends and family. This black bean and brown rice salad recipe is one we’ve been making and loving in our house for years! The photos recently got a little refresh so I’m sharing it again here and hope you all continue to enjoy it as much as we do!
How much do we all love recipes we can prep ahead? If you’re anything like me, the answer is A LOT. If we’re hosting a bunch of people in our home, the last thing I want to be doing in the minutes before everyone arrives is scrambling to put the finishing touches on various recipes. If you fall into a similar boat, keep this black bean and brown rice salad in your back pocket because it’s one you can make in advance to help eliminate same-day hosting stress! More importantly though, it’s absolutely delicious and bursting with color, texture, flavor, nutrient-dense veggies and whole grains!
Ingredients (aka Everything You Need to Make Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad)
Here’s everything you need to make this black bean and brown rice salad:
- Brown rice: I have a feeling you knew this one was coming! To make this recipe even easier, you can use one of those quick-cook 90 second pouches of brown rice. I’m telling you, this recipe is a breeze!
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: A summertime must-have. So plump and juicy and they add a beautiful burst of red to the salad.
- Corn: Trust me and cut this stuff straight off the cob! It’s so sweet and gives this salad a fun little crunch.
- Black Beans: Rinsed and drained, please
- Green Onion: For a little pizzaz
- Cilantro: Because I’m 100 percent Team Cilantro. If you’re in the camp that thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you may omit this.
- Avocado: You can’t beat the creaminess and flavor
- Dressing: It’s an easy one! We’re talking fresh lime juice (to give the salad a citrusy tang), olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper — aka pantry staples
How to Make Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
No need to buckle up when you read this one because the instructions are easy peasy. The Cliff’s Notes version: Dump everything in a bowl and toss it together. D-O-N-E.
The I-want-to-make-sure-you-get-the-very-best-results version is only slightly more detailed:
To make the black bean and brown rice salad, begin by combining cooked brown rice, tomatoes, corn, black beans, green onion and cilantro. (I’ve also added bell peppers and swapped diced red onion to use in place of the green onion at this stage and have loved them both. It’s an easy recipe to play around with depending on what produce you have on hand.)
Now it’s time to make the dressing. I call this a “dressing” but it’s not really. Think of it more like a flavorful little sauce. Okay so maybe it is a dressing, but it’s not very plentiful because a little bit goes a long way. Anyway to make this saucy dressing, in a small bowl combine olive oil, fresh lime juice and your spices — garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir together until they’re completely combined.
Now it’s time to bring everything together. Pour the dressing on top of the brown rice mixture and toss numerous times to coat. Toss with avocado immediately before serving and add any additional salt and pepper. Enjoy!
What Goes with Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
Though I typically make this black bean and brown rice salad as a side dish, it’s also wonderful as meal. If you’re looking to make it a little more filling, consider topping it with grilled chicken or shrimp or adding some edamame to the mix. Even as a side dish, I love it with edamame, as the additional crunch adds some fun texture and the soybeans add a nice pop of color as well as protein and fiber.
If you are not the biggest fan of brown rice, this recipe is simple to customize with your favorite grains. Simply swap out the brown rice for quinoa, barley or even wheat berries. Wheat berries and barley will result in a chewier salad I personally love!
As far as what goes with this rice and black bean salad, some of my entree pairings include cilantro lime grilled shrimp, chicken thighs (made with our favorite chicken thigh marinade), my easy BBQ meatloaf and this slow cooker cilantro lime salsa chicken.
And for any meal preppers out there, this is a fantastic dish to meal prep ahead on a Sunday and enjoy for lunch throughout the week. (Just wait to add the avocado until you’re ready to dig in.)
If you decide to give this rice and black bean salad a try, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 – 1/2 cup servings 1x
Category: side dishes
Description
This Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad is a cold and tasty side dish bursting with color, texture, flavor, healthy veggies and whole grains. It comes together in a flash and can easily be prepped ahead of time.
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh corn cut off the cob (approximately 2 small ears)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
- juice of 1 large lime
- 1 avocado, cut into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine cooked brown rice, tomatoes, corn, black beans, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix together and then drizzle over the brown rice and black bean mixture. Toss repeatedly to coat everything in the dressing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss with avocado immediately before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Though I typically make this black bean and brown rice salad as a side dish, it’s also wonderful as meal. If you’re looking to make it a little more filling, consider topping it with grilled chicken or shrimp or adding some edamame to the mix.
It’s fantastic as leftovers, too, but I’d recommend keeping the avocado on the side so you can use it to top individual portions. Then, when you’re ready to enjoy this dish again as leftovers, slice up some fresh avocado. This way you don’t have any brown avocado in your leftover salad.
If you aren’t a fan of brown rice, quinoa, barley or even wheat berries can be used in this dish in place of the rice. (Wheat berries and barley will result in a chewier salad I personally love!)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 145 calories
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 5g
Enjoy!!!
