Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 144 votes

Cowboy Rice Salad

A Southwestern rice salad filled with bright zesty flavours and tossed with a lime dressing. Made with brown rice for extra flavour, and a hint of spice flavour in the dressing to drive home the SouthWestern flavours! Serves 8 - 10 as a side, 4 - 6 as a main. Recipe video below!

Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 8
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup lime juice , plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (sub with smoked paprika + cayenne pepper)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, minced)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • black pepper
Salad:
  • 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
  • 1 green capsicum/bell pepper , diced
  • 1 small red onion , chopped
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) corn kernels , drained
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 3 tomatoes , watery seeds removed then diced
  • 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (Note 2)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place Dressing ingredients in a jar, shake. Taste test, adjust to your taste.
  2. Place Salad ingredients and rice in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss, then serve. Fantastic served straight away and even the next day!

Notes

  • I like making this with brown rice because I like the slight nutty flavour, I think it adds more interest to the salad. However, it's super terrific made with white rice too. If using white rice (normal, not jasmine/basmati or other fragrant white rice), it's best to use long grain rice. Next best is medium grain. Short grain and sushi rice will be a too sticky for this rice salad, in my opinion. 
  • If using WHITE RICE, you will need 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice.
  • Coriander/cilantro is a pretty staple herb for a Southwestern salad! However, if you do not like / have it but are busting to make this salad (I don't blame you), I think the best sub is either 1 1/2 cups of finely sliced shallots / scallions or 3/4 cup finely chopped chives. Different flavour, but still a nice burst of freshness to replace the coriander. Parsley will also be a suitable substitute (3/4 cup chopped) however I don't think it adds flavour as much as the other subs I suggested.
  • Storage: Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
  • This rice salad is my rice salad version of this famous Cowboy Caviar by Culinary Hill!