This tasty Primavera Brown Rice Salad can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature, perfect for that upcoming outdoor event. Made with hearty brown rice, crisp primavera veggies, and a homemade lemony dressing.
Once we hear we must bring a dish to a picnic, panic might set in. What if you don’t know everyone’s dietary preferences? It would be so embarrassing to bring the same potato salad as someone else. Plus, you need something that won’t spoil in the hot sun.
Look no further! Primavera Brown Rice Salad is a light and fresh side dish that is hearty enough to be the main course. It consists of tender brown rice, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and tomatoes all surrounded by a homemade lemony dressing that is out of this world!
Keep this gluten-free, vegan, and healthy recipe in your back pocket for your next cookout, picnic, potluck, or any other summer gathering. It can be served hot, cold, warm, or any temperature in between, making it the perfect traveling side dish!
Rice in Salad
You may have never heard of rice in a salad before, and that’s okay! You can add hearty brown rice to any salad for a boost of fiber and whole grains, which are amazing for digestion and heart health. We recommend using brown rice here because it is delicious when chilled. Sometimes, white rice can become very hard and dry once it gets cold, so stick with brown rice.
Don’t count out healthy grains in any salad! You can also use quinoa, millet, or buckwheat for more gluten-free grain options. Those on a gluten-free diet still need servings of whole grains as part of a balanced diet, so be sure to check out all gluten-free grains to find the ones you like most.
Ingredients in Primavera Brown Rice Salad
For the Salad:
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets, about 1 ½ cups
- 3 carrots, sliced
- a tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 small Vidalia onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 6 radishes, sliced
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
How to Make Primavera Brown Rice Salad
To begin, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and carrots. Blanch for 2 minutes and then remove to a bowl of ice water to shock the color. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to medium. Add the zucchini and onion. Cook, frequently stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the veggies become translucent.
Next, add the garlic and cherry tomatoes to the hot pan. Cook 1 minute and then shut off the heat.
Add the onions and zucchini to a large bowl along with the broccoli and carrots. Tear some fresh basil leaves, reserving some for garnish, and add them to the bowl. Finally, add the radishes and rice, then toss.
Next, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or lidded mason jar. Shake the jar with a lid on the combine the ingredients. You can also whisk them in a bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. You can serve this salad warm, at room temperature, or cold with additional basil on top.
Primavera Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets, about 1 1/2 cups
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 small Vidalia onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 6 radishes, sliced
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- To begin, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and carrots. Blanch for 2 minutes and then remove to a bowl of ice water to shock the color. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to medium. Add the zucchini and onion. Cook, frequently stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the veggies become translucent.
- Next, add the garlic and cherry tomatoes to the hot pan. Cook 1 minute and then shut off the heat.
- Add the onions and zucchini to a large bowl along with the broccoli and carrots. Tear some fresh basil leaves, reserving some for garnish, and add them to the bowl. Finally, add the radishes and rice, then toss.
- Next, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or lidded mason jar. Shake the jar with a lid on the combine the ingredients. You can also whisk them in a bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. You can serve this salad warm, at room temperature, or cold with additional basil on top.
