Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free)

If you love grain salads, you’ve got to try this Mediterranean brown rice salad! Filled with lots of veggies, it’s easy to make, light, and healthy.

A light yet satisfying grain salad recipe

Grain salads are kind of the best of all worlds. They’re easy to make and pretty foolproof. You can customize the flavors with different dressings. They generally keep well in the fridge, so they make great meal prep recipes. Plus, they can be a balanced, nutritious meal all in one!

When I make grain salads, I put my RD cap on to make sure they contain all three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) plus non starchy vegetables. This winning combination ensures your grain salads will be filling, satisfying, and nourishing.

This Mediterranean brown rice salad checks all my boxes. First, it’s easy to make, and utilizes many pantry ingredients. The only item you actually need to cook is the U.S.-grown long grain brown rice! Also, it’s got plenty of fiber from the brown rice and vegetables, protein from chickpeas, and healthy fats from olives and olive oil. It tastes great right away, but also keep well in the fridge.

What’s in this Mediterranean brown rice salad?

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. You can probably find most of them in your pantry already!

• U.S.-grown long grain brown rice: I keep a few kinds of rice in my pantry at all times. Right now, I have U.S.-grown long grain brown rice, purple rice, and red rice. It’s such a versatile ingredient and adds volume and whole grain fiber to meals. I like to use long grain brown rice for grain salad recipes, because the grains separate easily after they’re cooked, but still get nice and fluffy.
• Canned chickpeas: These add plant-based protein to this recipe.
• Canned artichoke hearts: I love to add artichoke hearts to Mediterranean flavored recipes. They’re one of the highest fiber vegetables, with about 7 grams per half cup serving.
• Jarred roasted red peppers: You could also make your own, but I used jarred for ease and convenience.
• Kalamata olives: These add healthy fats and distinct Mediterranean flavor to this dish.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Parsley
• Dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic
• Salt
• Pepper

How to make Mediterranean rice salad

This recipe is incredibly easy to make! First, cook your U.S.-grown brown rice according to package instructions. I like to use this rice cooker.

While your rice cooks, chop up all the vegetables, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and mince the parsley. Also, prepare the lemon dressing. Set everything aside.

Once the rice is cooked, let it cool to room temperature. Then, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and add the dressing. Enjoy right away, or store it in the fridge to eat later.

If you love this recipe, you may also like

• Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Wild Rice and Chickpeas
• Vegan Stuffing with Brown Rice, Butternut Squash, and Mushrooms
• Greek Quinoa Salad with Lentils
• Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta Cheese

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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Thank you USA Rice and The FeedFeed for sponsoring this blog post! I’m grateful to partner with brands I love to cook with, and all opinions are my own.