Brown Rice Citrus Salad {vegan & gluten-free}
This vegan, gluten-free brown rice citrus salad recipe offers a pleasing blend of flavors—a great side dish or hearty enough for a meal!
My daughter has been fighting a cold and asked me to make her something “healthy” for dinner. This usually means a big green salad, but we needed to go grocery shopping. We were out of fresh greens. What to do, what to do…
I took a quick inventory of our kitchen. A nearly overripe pineapple sat on the counter. One lone orange rested in the fruit bowl. Half a cucumber was dying a slow death in the vegetable crisper—but fortunately, it was accompanied by another with a little more life left in it. What could I do with these ingredients?
I decided to make a grain salad. I opted for short-grain brown rice, but quinoa or another type of grain could also work.
Ingredients
If I followed my own advice and had some cooked grains on hand, this brown rice citrus salad could have been ready in minutes. I had to wait for the rice to cook, but that gave me time to chop the fruit and veggies. I ultimately decided to combine the following:
- brown rice
- orange
- pineapple
- cucumber
- onion
- garbanzo beans
- cashews
- teriyaki sauce
Grain salads are great. They make a hearty meal, and you can easily mix and match different ingredients. I thought teriyaki sauce would enhance the citrus flavors in this combo, but I encourage you to experiment with what you have!
What’s Needed?
The following small appliances make following this recipe a breeze:
- Rice cooker or Instant Pot – Both options are great for perfectly cooked rice. But I prefer the results I get with my Instant Pot.
- High-speed blender – A good blender makes the best spreads and sauces, like the teriyaki sauce this recipe calls for.
Brown Rice Citrus Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 large orange peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 2 cups fresh 1 inch pineapple chunks
- 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
- ½ large red onion diced
- 15.5 oz can low sodium garbanzo beans chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup Teriyaki Sauce
Instructions
- Combine rice and water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. (Or cook rice in a rice cooker – follow manufacturer’s instructions – and skip to step 4.)
- Reduce heat and simmer with cover vented for 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover fully and allow cooked rice to sit for 10 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, prep orange, pineapple, cucumber and onion.
- Combine orange, pineapple, cucumber, onion, chickpeas and cashews in a large mixing bowl and stir in Teriyaki Sauce.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later (1-2 days) – best served at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This page contains affiliate links. I earn a commission if you use the links—it’s how I keep the site ad-free. I only recommend items/brands I use or trust, and I appreciate your support.
