Brown Rice Salad with Dill, Beans and Orange Dressing

This protein-packed vegan Brown Rice Salad comes together in under 30 minutes, and has the amazing textures of green beans, mushrooms and fava beans. All of it is dressed with a delicately flavored orange-cashew dressing. Gluten-free and soy-free recipe. This is an updated version of a recipe I posted in 2014.

Spring is not yet here, but with some Spring-like weather springing our way last week, I was in just the mood to cook up my recipe for Brown Rice Salad with Dill.

Brown bag lunches can be a charged issue in our home. I want them to be healthy and tasty, he wants them to be … well… a certain way. Desi is one of those guys who will eat at his desk every single day. So, according to him, the food has to be such that he can eat with a fork while he types with the other hand. It can’t be anything spillable because he’s not going to be looking at the food, see? He has eyes only for the computer screen.

So sandwiches are usually out. Too messy, according to Mr. Persnickety. And so is anything that, heaven forbid, might require a knife too. Which leaves me with a narrow range of foods I can cook, like pastas, biryanis, pilafs or risottos.

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More recipes to try:

Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Beets

Chickpea Avocado Salad for Sandwiches and Wraps

Quinoa Lentil Salad

Bean Bulgur Salad with Pesto

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Black Beans

Thai Vegetable Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

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Yesterday, I had no more than 30 minutes to cook up a brown bag lunch that met both of our needs and that’s when I came up with a delicious idea for a brown rice salad with dill. Dill and rice are a winning flavor combination, and the nutty brown rice is a perfect foil for the assertive dill. To bring these two delicious ingredients together, I made a dressing that would combine some typical salad dressing ingredients with warm Indian spices.

I put some brown rice in the rice cooker while I went out to walk the dogs and by the time I got back it was ready and waiting for me.  After that all I had to do was chop up a couple of veggies, bloom some spices and blend them with the other dressing ingredients, and within minutes I had a delicious and extremely nutritious meal on my hands that no fussy eater could turn their nose up at.

If you try this Brown Rice Salad with Dill, Beans and Orange Dressing, be sure to let me know if you liked it!

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Brown Rice Salad with Dill

This protein-packed vegan Brown Rice Salad comes together with the amazing textures of green beans, mushrooms and lima beans. All of it is dressed with a delicately flavored orange-cashew dressing. Gluten-free and soy-free.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 328kcal

Author: Vaishali Honawar

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked
• 2 cups green beans or haricot vert, cut into one-inch pieces. You can use frozen.
• 1 cup button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups frozen or canned lima beans (use any other bean as a substitute. Chickpeas or red kidney beans would be great in this)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 cup fresh dill, thick stems removed, leaves chopped
• Dressing Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Juice of one large orange (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 10 cashew nuts
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Make the dressing:

• Heat a skillet and add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Dry-roast for about two minutes over medium-high heat until they start to turn color. Remove to a blender.
• Add to the blender the red pepper flakes, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, cashew nuts and salt and ground black pepper.
• Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy.

Make the rice:

• In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions with some salt and ground black pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for about five minutes or until the onions are translucent but not turning color. Add the mushrooms, green beans and lima beans and mix well.
• Let the vegetables cook about 5 minutes or until the beans are tender but not mushy.
• Add the cooked brown rice, dill, and the salad dressing. Mix everything well together. Turn off heat.
• Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 5.6g | Potassium: 1180mg | Fiber: 9.3g | Sugar: 5.8g | Calcium: 22% | Iron: 59%