Mexican Brown Rice Salad
By Julie Cader
The vibrant colors and lime-flavored avocado dressing make this California rice salad a wonderful way to celebrate Cinco de May, a day of Mexican pride and heritage. Crushed Lundberg Family Farms Lime Rice Chips tops the salad off with an amazing crunch. A meal in itself, serving this salad is a great option for your May 5 celebration.
Ingredients
Rice Mixture
1 ½ cups uncooked Lundberg Organic Short Grain California Brown Rice
16 oz. bag of frozen corn
1 Tablespoon butter
7 oz. can of diced green chiles
7.76 oz. can of Homestyle Mexican Salsa
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetables
½ large red pepper, chopped
½ large yellow pepper, chopped
one bunch radishes, thinly sliced
two carrots, thinly sliced
6 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, peeled and minced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
15 oz. can of black beans, drained
Salad Dressing
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 large avocado, seeded with skin removed
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Topping
2 – 6 oz. bags of Lundberg Fiesta Lime Rice Chips, crumbled
Directions
Cook rice according to directions on package. Let rice cool for a few minutes after cooking.
Microwave corn with 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of butter, and minced garlic for 4-5 minutes. Drain water from corn before adding to cooked rice.
In a large bowl, combine cooked rice and corn with green chiles, salsa and seasonings. Let mixture cool.
In the meantime, prepare vegetables and drained beans and set aside.
Place the lime juice, zest, honey, avocado, garlic, cilantro and cumin in food processer and blend. With the processor still running, slowly pour in the olive oil until mixture emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Once rice mixture has cooled, gently stir in vegetables, beans and salad dressing until well combined.
Sprinkle crumbled Fiesta Lime Rice Chips on top and serve in a festive bowl.
Ole!
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
