Caffeine Free Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber
This vibrant grain salad is everything you want on a warm day — bright, fresh, and packed with bold Mediterranean flavors that feel both satisfying and light. Juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, and fragrant herbs come together over nutty brown rice for a bowl that's as colorful as it is delicious. The lemon-oregano dressing ties it all together with a zippy, herbaceous punch that soaks beautifully into the rice as it sits. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of caffeine, so there's no label-reading required and no hidden surprises lurking in the pantry. This is the kind of recipe where whole, simple foods do all the heavy lifting — no specialty substitutions, no complicated swaps. The brown rice gives it real staying power, making this a genuinely filling meal rather than just a side dish. It also keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, so it's a fantastic option for meal prep or easy weekday lunches.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the rice
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 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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