Cinnamon Free Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber
This bright, hearty salad is everything you want from a Mediterranean-inspired meal — chewy brown rice, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, and a zippy lemon-oregano dressing that ties it all together. Cinnamon has a sneaky way of showing up in spice blends and pre-made dressings, so building this one from scratch with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and oregano keeps things completely clear and worry-free. The dressing is bold and tangy without relying on any warm baking spices, so every bite stays clean and fresh-tasting. Letting the brown rice cool before tossing is a small but important step — it keeps the vegetables crisp and helps the dressing coat every grain evenly rather than getting absorbed into a steamy pile. Fresh parsley and optional mint add a herby lift that makes the whole bowl feel vibrant and restaurant-worthy. It holds up beautifully in the fridge for a few days, making it an ideal make-ahead lunch or a reliable side dish for a weeknight dinner spread.
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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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