This brown rice salad with cranberries and nuts is a deliciously filling side dish to pack for lunch or serve on a special occasion! The red cranberries and green onions give it a cheerful holiday color, but the lemony vinaigrette dressing takes it over the top!
This simple salad comes together quickly, especially if you use precooked rice, and it’s absolutely gorgeous served on a bed of fresh spinach or lettuce with crisp green beans, sliced tomatoes, and orange quarters. It makes a spectacular accompaniment to any poultry, fish, or meat, like this flavorful Balsamic Chicken or this Sweet Bourbon Salmon.
Why You’ll Love This Brown Rice And Cranberry Salad
- Packed with complex carbohydrates - Unlike simple carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar quickly, brown rice is full of complex carbohydrates that take much longer to digest. They won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly and have lots of insoluble fiber to support your digestion!
- So healthy & filling - This delicious side dish has so much flavor and almost no sugar! It’s loaded with fiber, healthy fats, and a little protein to fill you up. It’ll stick with you for hours!
- Easy to make - This recipe comes together in just minutes! Mix together the salad ingredients, prepare the vinaigrette, then stir it all together. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
Salad
- Cooked brown rice - Fully cook and cool the rice before starting the salad.
- Green onions - Chop fresh green onions into bite-sized pieces.
- Chopped walnuts - Walnuts taste great with the cranberries, but almonds are a great alternative.
- Dried cranberries - For less sugar, look for a juice-sweetened version.
Dressing
- Lite soy sauce - This adds a salty flavor to season the dish.
- Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice is best, but concentrated works too!
- Extra virgin olive oil - Extra virgin has a richer flavor that’s perfect for vinaigrettes.
- Grated lemon zest - This bumps up the lemony flavor.
Variations
- Add a little sweetness - Although the cranberries are sweet, you may want to add a little honey or maple syrup to the dressing to taste.
- Use raisins - If you’re not a fan of cranberries, try regular or golden raisins instead.
- Add more fruits & veggies - Add orange segments, diced celery, shredded carrot, or even diced apple for extra crunch and flavor.
- Add cheese - This delicious salad would really pop with some finely chopped white cheddar, salty feta, or creamy chevre!
How to Make Brown Rice Salad with Cranberries
A recipe from The Candle Cafe Cookbook inspired this dish.
- Mix rice, onion, walnuts, and cranberries. Set aside.
- Whisk the remaining ingredients until emulsified, then pour this dressing over the rice mixture.
- Stir and refrigerate for one hour or more.
Expert Tips
- Use a sheet tray - If you’re making rice specifically for this salad, spread it onto a sheet tray to cool in the fridge. The greater surface area will help it cool down faster.
- Season to taste - The only salt comes from the soy sauce in the vinaigrette. Feel free to add more salt or other spices as needed.
- Be flexible with grains - This salad can be made with wheatberries or wild rice instead of brown rice.
Recipe FAQs
There are two main types of brown rice: short grain and long grain. Long-grain rice varieties tend to be softer and fluffier; short grain are denser and chewier. Although you can use any brown rice for this brown rice salad, long-grain rice will have the best texture.
Any time you have leftover brown rice on hand, you’re just 10 minutes away from a delicious side dish! Toss the cold rice with chopped green onions, walnuts, and cranberries, then stir in a lemony soy vinaigrette for a wonderful side dish. This is also great for using leftover roasted butternut squash or other veggies.
Most cooked foods can stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days; this rice salad is no exception. If you prepared the rice more than a day ago, you may want to eat those leftovers sooner rather than later, as the rice could go bad before the other ingredients.
More Rice Recipes To Try
- Lentil Rice Stuffed Roasted Eggplant
- What To Do With Leftover Rice
- Savory Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash Rice Salad
- Tarragon Rice Pilaf
- Lemon Rice
- Egyptian Rice
Brown Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 scallions green onions; chopped
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Dressing
- ¼ cup lite soy sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Instructions
- Mix rice, onion, walnuts and cranberries. Set aside.
- Whisk remaining ingredients until emulsified and then pour this dressing over the rice mixture.
- Stir and refrigerate for one hour or more.
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
