Description
Super easy to make, this flavorful 20-minute Tex-Mex Rice Salad is a wholesome twist and packed with nourishing plant powerhouse goodness. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.
This recipe was inspired by Recipe Tin Eats “Cowboy Rice Salad”
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 4 cups lettuce greens, fine chop
- 2 ½ cups refrigerated cooked brown rice *
- 1 cup corn
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup seeded tomatoes, small dice
- ¼ cup red onions, fine dice
Chipotle Lime Dressing Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon organic maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon white miso *
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onions
- ¼ teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Optional Ingredients:
- Sliced avocadoes
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Pickled jalapeno peppers (or freshly sliced jalapeno peppers)
Instructions
- Heat the refrigerated cooked rice, then set aside to come to room temperature, set aside.
- Place the all the Chipotle Lime Dressing Ingredients into a small bowl, whisk until smooth and emulsified, set aside.
- Prepare all the vegetables (shredded lettuce, seeded tomatoes, diced red onions) and place into a large bowl, then add the room temperature rice, black beans and corn. Toss to evenly distribute the salad ingredients; then drizzle with the Chipotle Lime Dressing while tossing.
- Taste test and add adjust seasonings accordingly.Serve with sliced avocados, freshly chopped cilantro, and pickled jalapeño peppers.
Notes
*Cooked and Refrigerated Rice: Cooked and refrigerated rice works best when making this dish. If you use recently cooked rice, it will be too gummy and sticky. Using cooked and refrigerated rice (preferably made the day before or earlier in the day) allows the rice to dry out enough to showcase distinct individual grains of rice making a better textured dish. We then microwave the refrigerated rice to heat it up, then allow it to come to room temperature. We suggest microwaving the rice as the first step as by the time you are done chopping the vegetables (shredded lettuce, chopped red onion, and seeded tomatoes), the rice will no longer be hot. It is fine if it is still slightly warm. Do not place refrigerated cold rice directly into the salad. It will be too cold. Heating it and allowing it to cool off works best.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also use chickpea miso for a soy free version.
*Pickled Jalapeno Peppers: We used Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Tamed Jalapeno Peppers. They have such amazing flavor. Make sure you get the “tamed” jar and not the hot jar. Or you can use fresh sliced jalapeno peppers. Both are optional to this dish.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 3 to 4
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.