This Brown Rice Salad looks way too healthy to taste as good as it does! The fresh dill and coriander/cilantro with the bright lemon dressing totally makes it. The perfectly cooked, nutty brown rice helps. Everything else is customisable.
You didn’t really think I’d share a rather dull (but life essential) post for how to cook brown rice without following it up with an extremely delicious way to use it, did you??
Brown Rice Salad
This is a Brown Rice Salad that aspires to be everything you expect a rice salad to be (healthy, filling, fresh) and everything you don’t expect it to be (can’t-stop-eating-it-good).
It’s also a rice salad that will surprise those of you who grew up not realising such a thing existed. (Pretty sure that would be anyone with Asian parents 🙋🏻♀️).
It is very, very good. It’s fresh, juicy, bright, and really makes the most of the addictive nutty, slightly chewy texture of brown rice though it can be made with any type of cooked rice, or other grains for that matter (farro, pearl barley, tiny or giant couscous).
Ingredients in Brown Rice Salad
Here’s what I put into this brown rice salad – though you’ll see an extensive list of customisation suggestions below!
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Brown rice – only perfectly cooked brown rice allowed in these parts! No mushiness permitted 😉. Alternatives: any rice – normal or fancy (white, jasmine, basmati, wild etc), quinoa, and anything rice-like shaped such as farro, pearl barley, couscous;
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Cucumber & tomato – the freshness and juiciness;
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Red onion – welcome sharp bite. Alternatives: green onion, Eschallots/French shallots;
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Dill and coriander – one of the best fresh herb combinations for salads, in my humble opinion. I use it regularly – such as in this Pearl Couscous Salad and JP’s Iceberg Lettuce Salad; and
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Rocket / Arugula – I really like adding a bit of green fluffage into any starch based salad. For interest, extra freshness and to add a different textural element. Alternatives: any sliceable leafy greens – baby or normal spinach, kale (marinate it to make it softer), cabbage).
Customise the vegetables with any raw or cooked vegetables you want (diced and sautéed in a little oil perhaps with some garlic, or roasted – try Roasted Eggplant. It’s amazing!).
Optional Extras
You’ll see in the video and photos that I’ve also included black olives which I consider an optional extra for this Mediterranean themed version of this rice salad. I don’t always include it – the above ingredients are my base version.
It’s also shown topped with crispy golden slices of halloumi. Adding some pan-kissed cheese is a seriously delicious way to elevate this salad to show-off status (not unlike a French Warm Goat’s Cheese Salad) or, you know, just treat yourself 😂).
Lemon Dressing Ingredients
And here’s what goes into the lemon dressing: lemon juice, garlic, mustard (for thickening), extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
How to make this Brown Rice Salad
I always feel like I’m teaching you how to suck eggs when I show the process photos for a salad! 😂 But I do think it’s a useful one-pager to show how this comes together. For all those times you don’t have 90 seconds to watch the recipe video!
Elevate it to meal status
I know I said the crispy golden halloumi is optional, but everytime I see a photo of it, I want to take it back and make it part of the base recipe!
The only reason why I won’t is because I like that this salad is interesting and fresh enough to be a side salad OR a meal.
Also, even if you don’t happen to have a block of halloumi in your fridge waiting to pan fry to golden perfection, there’s plenty of other ways to elevate it to meal status:
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Crumble of feta
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Sprinkle of parmesan
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Dollop of yogurt
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Nuts – try flaked almonds (toasted), or walnuts, pepitas, sunflowers, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts
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Can of tuna, salmon or other fish
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Sliced poached chicken (super juicy even fridge cold if you use this method)
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Any other cooked protein that takes your fancy
What to serve with this Brown Rice Salad
This is a wonderful two-in-one side salad for meals (ie starch + veg in one dish) but interesting and colourful enough to stand on its own as a light meal or as part of a lunch spread. Here are a few suggestions:
Mains for warm summer nights
Quick meals
Salads for sharing – lunch with friends
Enjoy! – Nagi x
PS Ah, I just remembered! A few years ago, I also shared a Cowboy Rice Salad. Fun name. Delicious to eat!
Watch how to make it
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Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients
Salad (Note 1):
- 3 cups cooked brown rice , cooled but not cold
- 2 tomatoes , diced
- 2 cucumbers , diced (or 1 long English/continental cucumber)
- 1/2 red onion , chopped (sub 2 stems green onion)
- 40g/ 4 cups tightly packed baby rocket/arugula , roughly chopped (or baby spinach)
- 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup fresh dill leaves , roughly chopped (Note 2)
Lemon Dressing:
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves , minced using garlic press
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (Note 3)
- 3/4 tsp salt , kosher/cooking salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional extras (pictured):
- 1/2 cup black olive slices
- 200g/7oz halloumi , sliced then pan fried in a little olive oil until golden and crispy
- Other topping options: feta, parmesan, nuts (Note 4)
Instructions
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.
- Place Salad ingredients in a big bowl. Drizzle over Dressing, toss well.
- Transfer to serving bowl. If using Halloumi, pile on top.
- Serve!
Recipe Notes:
- parsley or chives and dill
- chives and parsley
- just coriander/cilantro or dill (double up)
- 2 1/2 tsp oregano (add to dressing - will taste like a Greek Salad!)
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs, or other dried herbs of choice
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This guy really, REALLY doesn’t like cucumber…..
Being an Asian brought up on white rice I’ve had difficulty adjusting to the “roughness” of brown rice. This recipe embraces the texture of brown rice making the transition deliciously easy peasy.
I love the simplicity and step by step instructions, even my husband could follow this. I cooked the Brazillian Stew and everyone loved the flavours. Thank you for giving me such a fresh approach to cooking again. 🙂
Will definitely try this but just to share, I had a delicious lunch in one of the greek restaurant in sunshine coast. They’ve got food with Mediterranean origins and flovours.
Thank you Nagi, I always struggled cooking brown rice. I like it but it never turned out and then I would have to buy those microwave pots from the supermarket that were always dry. I used your method and made the brown rice salad. Tasted delicious!
Wahoo, you’re converted now!! N x
Thank you -love this salad! So versatile – try adding fresh capsicum or replace fresh coriander with fresh Italian parsley!!!
Thanks for another great salad recipe.Every week i seem To make a whole meal with several of your recipe and it always delicious
My 14 yr old made this salad for an easy Friday night meal, we all loved it. The ingredients go so well together. We added BBQ chicken and Parmesan and it was delicious, it will be a regular meal for us, thanks Nagi.
Another winner Nagi and it kept really well in the fridge. The video of Dozer saying no to the cucumber is hysterical, I know how he feels!
Made this a couple of weeks ago and my partner keeps taking about it – he said he could happily
live on salads like that! The halloumi with it was perfect. We’re attempting to go more Mediterranean with our meals and this was a delicious start.
Not sure about the halloumi cheese. Could tofu be substituted? Or what else?
Love your recipes Nagi!
You could definitely use tofu! N x
I made this with black rice and added some roasted eggplant and diced raw capsicum. (Of course with olives and halloumi). It was so yummy. With the black rice it looked so impressive. A great meat-free Monday dinner.
3 cups of cooked rice would be how much of uncooked?
Hi Radek, 1 cup equals just under 3 cups of cooked rice – N x
Omg so delish!!made it today with pan fried salmon and turned out beautifully!thanks for sharing your gorgeous recipes and pictures and video of your beautiful dog 🥰
This was awesome and I really don’t like rice salads which I’ve only ever had with white rice. I made mine with one of those packets of pre-cooked brown rice/wild rice blends you just microwave for a minute or 2 then added the rest plus chopped walnuts and the black olives. Wow Yummm! Pinned to my favourites. Thanks Nagi.
“Not a dull bite in it” was my husband’s feedback. Really loved it with the olives and I have to agree the dill/coriander combo is stunning. Thanks Nagi!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Lauren!! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂 N x
Made this on the weekend and everyone loved it…even my son who doesn’t like tomatoes lapped it up 😉 Thanks Nagi
sooo delicious!
This salad was delicious, Nagi. So many wonderful flavors and so satisfying. Loved it!
Following day…
When I made the salad yesterday, I coked double the amount of brown rice. Today I used your fried fish technique to cook tilapia and I put it over the leftover brown rice from yesterday. I also had a little salad on the side from yesterday too. I drizzled some of the leftover dressing from yesterday onto the rice and salad and fish and it was delicious. Two fantastic (and relatively easy) dinners. Thank you, Nagi! I take my proverbial hat off to you!
When I made the salad yesterday, I coked double the amount of brown rice. Today I used your fried fish technique to cook tilapia and I put it over the leftover brown rice from yesterday. I also had a little salad on the side from yesterday too. I drizzled some of the leftover dressing from yesterday onto the rice and salad and fish and it was delicious. Two fantastic dinners and relatively easy. Thank you, Nagi! I take my hat off to you!
Made this for dinner last night with Halloumi and it was delicious! I have left the dressing off and will add it fresh on leftovers for lunches! Already looking forward to making it again and can see how adaptable this one would be with different salad ingredients and herbs. Another staple thanks Nagi!
So easy and delicious! I love your recipes, Nagi!