Anti Inflammatory Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber

Total time1 hr 10 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time45 min

Anti Inflammatory Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber

This vibrant grain salad is everything you want on a warm evening — colorful, fresh, and deeply satisfying without feeling heavy. Whole-grain brown rice forms a hearty base, and it's loaded with cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, and bright parsley, all tossed in a lemony olive oil dressing spiked with oregano and cumin. Every single ingredient here pulls its weight from a wellness standpoint: extra virgin olive oil and colorful vegetables are cornerstones of an eating pattern built around reducing chronic inflammation, and there's no processed filler or refined grain in sight. The dressing comes together in minutes while the rice cools, so the active effort is minimal even though the payoff looks impressive. A little fresh mint stirred in at the end adds an unexpected lift that takes the whole bowl somewhere special. It serves four and keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, making it a genuinely useful recipe for meal prep rather than just a one-time showpiece.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the rice

1 cup long-grain brown rice
RiceSelect Brown Texmati Rice In Jar - 32 Oz Lundberg Heirlooms Rice Organic Brown Short Grain - 32 Oz 4Sisters Extra Long Grain {ORGANIC BROWN RICE}Lundberg Heirlooms Rice Brown Long Grain - 32 Oz Ben Brand Brown Rice 2lb - 2 LB
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2 cups water
¼ tsp salt

For the dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the salad

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 english cucumber, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the brown rice, water, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40–45 minutes.
2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then spread it out in a large mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

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