If you’re looking for a savory way to use up all your fresh blackberries and raspberries, this Brown Rice Salad with Berries, almonds and mint is it. It’s a great make-ahead recipe to serve as a summer lunch or dinner side.

Why We Love This Recipe For Brown Rice Salad with Berries

Fresh berries are a natural in sweets, or in dressings like this Raspberry Almond Vinaigrette. But pair them with brown rice, scallions, mint and sliced almonds and you’ve got a slightly surprising, delicious summer salad you’ll be making on repeat. This easy rice salad is a healthy and easy side dish to make for a summer barbecue, backyard cookout or casual family get together.

Recipe Highlights

  • You can prepare it ahead of time.
  • This recipe yields 8 cups so it’s great for entertaining.
  • Can be adapted for the ingredients you have on hand
  • Whole grain
  • High in fiber
  • Rich in vitamin C and other essential nutrients
  • Served chilled-so it is great for hot days or evenings.

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Long-Grain Brown Rice: You could also use wild rice instead since it’s fairly firm, but stay away from short-grain brown rice as it’s softer and starchier.
  • Produce: The zest and juice from an orange. Scallions and berries. I used a mix of fresh raspberries and blackberries for this.
  • Pantry Staples: Extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, water, salt and freshly ground pepper.
  • Sliced Almonds: You could use toasted or non-toasted sliced almonds.
  • Fresh mint: This provides an herbal counterpoint to the bright berries, but it’s OK to leave it out if you don’t have it.

How to Make This Brown Rice Salad with Berries

Step 1: Cook & cool rice

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add rice, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, spread out on a sheet pan to speed cooling, or transfer to a metal bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

Step 2: Make dressing & serve

Whisk orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in scallions, almonds and rice. Fold in berries and garnish with mint.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing instructions:

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

How to make ahead:

Cook and cool the rice and whisk together the dressing up to a day in advance. Store the rice in the fridge as directed in step 1, and store the dressing in a separate airtight container. Combine and assemble the brown rice salad with berries when you’re ready to serve.

Variations to try:

Try this with any berries you like, or other summer fruit like diced peaches or plums. You could also mix in cheese such as crumbled feta or shaved parmesan.

Additional Rice Salad Recipes to Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Brown Rice Salad with Berries

Brown Rice Salad with Raspberries and Blackberries


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Description

Brown Rice Salad with Raspberries and Blackberries with almonds and mint.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
  • 1 orange, zested and juice
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3 scallions, minced
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 1/2 cups berries
  • Fresh mint for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add rice, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, spread out on a sheet pan to speed cooling or transfer to a metal bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
  2. Whisk orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in scallions, almonds and the rice. Fold in berries and garnish with mint.

Notes

Make-Ahead:

Cook and cool the rice and whisk together the dressing up to a day in advance. Store the rice in the fridge as directed in step 1, and store the dressing in a separate airtight container. Do not combine and assemble the brown rice salad with berries until ready to serve.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 190
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 248 mg
  • Fat: 55 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 21 g