Take a trip out to the wild west with this SouthWestern COWBOY RICE SALAD! Based on the famous Cowboy Caviar, this brown rice salad is filled with bright, zesty flavours, plenty of juicy veggies, nutty brown rice and drizzled with a fabulous SouthWestern lime dressing!
Cowboy Rice Salad
The words “rice” and “salad” do not come naturally for people of Asian background. Rice is to Asians what bread is to Western countries. Growing up, we rarely had bread. In fact, when I visit relatives in Japan, the only reason they would buy bread is for us, thinking that we’ve been so westernised that we must have our bread fix, that rice is not enough!
For clarity, that’s not true. But I always find it funny that they purchase bread just for us!
So rice as a salad? Hmm. I don’t think that even exists in Japan. And I can’t think of a single rice salad from any Asian country – anyone care to enlighten me??
This is the first rice salad I’ve shared here on RecipeTin Eats. (Update: And in 2020, I shared another!) So I wanted to start off with a bang – and this Cowboy Rice Salad is a ripper! It’s a rice salad version of Cowboy Bean Salad which is also known as Cowboy Caviar, a Midwestern salsa/salad that’s popular in the States. Made with tomatoes, capsicum / bell peppers, red onion, corn, beans and coriander/cilantro, Cowboy Caviar is dressed with a fairly sweet vinaigrette then served as a salad or salsa for scooping up with corn chips.
And you know what? The very first thought that popped into my head when I made it was that it would be purrrrrfect to adapt to a rice salad. And it is!
While the salad ingredients are largely the same – except, of course, the addition of rice (*head smack!*) – I opted for a lime dressing which is a bit lighter and has that citrus zing to it.
And I add a touch of spices to the dressing to really drive home that Southwestern flavour. And to give myself the best possible Cowgirl experience. 😇 Because we can all dream. 😂 Of living in the wild, wild west? – Nagi xx
PS I like making this with brown rice because I think the slight nutty flavour is fabulous for salads. But this works just as well with white rice.
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Cowboy Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup lime juice , plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (sub with smoked paprika + cayenne pepper)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, minced)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black Pepper
Salad:
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
- 1 green capsicum/bell pepper , diced
- 1 small red onion , chopped
- 1 x 400g (14oz) corn kernels , drained
- 1 x 400g (14oz) black beans , drained and rinsed
- 3 tomatoes , watery seeds removed then diced
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (Note 2)
Instructions
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar, shake. Taste test, adjust to your taste.
- Place Salad ingredients and rice in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss, then serve. Fantastic served straight away and even the next day!
Recipe Notes:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Cowboy Rice Salad recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Look who the Easter Bunny remembered to visit…. Don’t worry! They’re dog friendly Easter eggs, they aren’t made of chocolate!!
This is amazing! So fresh & delicious, not to mention easy to make. We had it for dinner with some grilled chicken & a jacket potato – yum. There was enough left over for some quick lunches for work.
Do you think I could do this with orzo instead of rice, or would the texture/absorption be off? Thx!
Served this with some delicious marinated chicken thighs on top of a bed of spinach. Such a nice spring recipe! Thank you Nagi, your recipes NEVER disappoint 😅
This salad was amazing! I had some leftover white rice and was looking for a rice salad recipe. This one fit the bill. It would have been even better with brown rice, but I used what I had. The only other change I made was to use a can of small red beans, because I didn’t realize we were out of black beans. I will definitely make this again.
This sounds delicious. I’m thinking of making it for a potluck. Should I/can I double the recipe? It wasn’t clear to me how many this would serve.
This is a winner in our house.
I think this is my favourite food/recipe of all time! Like of everything my husband and I have ever eaten, both home cooked and eaten out. Husband agrees (he’s the one that found this recipe online and cooked it). 100% delicious, fresh and healthy! We serve it with homemade flat bread, sliced avocado and a dash of chilli sauce. Also great easy option to take for picnics as can be eaten as a salad or burrito. THANK YOU NAGI!
This is so delicious, even with sad winter tomatoes!. We’ll be packing this in our lunches for the next few days. Another winner from Nagi. Thanks!
Perfect salad for a hot day! Enjoyed by all, and had people asking for the recipe! I left out the cilantro, as I thought the kids would find it better without.
Lovely Salad for the summer heat. So adaptable to what you have on hand. The honey and the lime juice lifts the whole salad up
Without doubt the nicest rice salad I have ever had – just a delicious mixture of ingredients and the dressing – will be regularly made!
Gorgeous colours, textures, and flavours. Adaptable to whatever grain one likes, and whatever vegetables are in season. Like other commenters, I didn’t have a few of the ingredients, such as honey or chipotle powder, so subbed with maple syrup and a teaspoon of canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I probably tossed in some pasilla de Oaxaca chiles. And I harvested a few leaves of the garden kale (from under the snow) and used Nagi’s technique to rub the leaves in oil, salt and pepper to soften them up, and tossed those in, too. It was delicious with last night’s dinner, and incredible for lunch today, and now I’m going to get another serving just because. Thank you, can’t wait to try this one out in so many combinations!
So delicious, easy, and fun. Family loved it. I will be making it again.
Nice one.
To make the dressing oil free could you sub that out for something or just leave it out completely??
Hi Tara…the oil brings the dressing together..if you leave it out I think it will be too acidic. N x
Should this be served room temperature or cold??? I am about to make it for anniversary dinner.
Yes definitely Lisa, I would serve room temp. N x
This looks delicious. Do you think it would be ok to add black eyed peas as well?
You definitely could! N x
Love all your recipes! Gonna try this salad tomorrow with ribs for friends. I’m wondering if better fresh made or next day? Thx!
Nagi: This was a winner! I cook for ranches here in Montana. Our cowboys give it a big thumbs up. Thanks for a healthy salad to add to my recipe book!
Yeehaaa! That’s awesome to hear Steph, thanks so much!! N x
Why is it 4 cups of Brown rice and only 1 cup of white rice
Hi Susan, the recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice. If you wanted to sub with white, you’ll need to cook up 1 1/2 cups of UNCOOKED white rice. I hope that clarifies things 🙂 N x