Brown Rice Salad
Number 3 in my series of Fifty Fantastic Salads is this Brown Rice Salad. Full of seasonal favourites like butternut squash and greens, it’s a great warm salad for the winter months. The dressing is easy to make and is a combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar mixed with fresh garlic and chopped parsley.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ⅔ cup brown rice (110g)
- 2 x 400g tins lentils (2 x 14oz)
- ¼ cup dried blueberries or cranberries (40g)
- Handful of seasonal greens e.g. spinach or kale
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (30g)
- 2 tbsp chopped herbs (I used mint and parsley)
- Seeds from half a pomegranate
Dressing ingredients:
- 2½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ tsp sea salt
- A few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Peel the squash, remove the seeds and cut into small cubes. Add to a baking tray with 2 tsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for 25 mins, turning halfway through.
- Whilst the squash is cooking, add the rice to a pan and cook as per packet instructions. Mine took 25 mins.
- Drain the lentils and add to serving bowl with dried blueberries, chopped spinach, pumpkin seeds and chopped herbs. Add the rice and squash once cooked.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and mix well. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well and top with the pomegranate.
Notes
- This will store in the fridge for about 4 days.
- The nutritional information is based up the recipe serving 4 but could serve 6 as a side dish.
- I usually serve with an additional protein such as tempeh or tofu but add your protein of choice.
Nutrition
Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 60.5gProtein: 13.6gFat: 12.9gSaturated Fat: 1.8gFiber: 12g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!