Citric Acid Free Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber
Bright, herby, and packed with satisfying texture, this grain salad brings together nutty brown rice, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and briny Kalamata olives in a way that feels genuinely crave-worthy. The dressing is built on fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, which means the acidity comes entirely from a whole, natural source rather than the processed additive that causes problems for so many people — a small but meaningful distinction when you're navigating ingredient labels. Dried oregano and ground cumin give the whole bowl a warm, Mediterranean depth that makes it taste far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. Letting the rice cool completely before tossing everything together is the move that keeps the vegetables crisp and the dressing from going flat. Fresh parsley and optional mint lift the whole thing with a clean, garden-fresh finish. It holds up beautifully in the fridge for a few days, making it a genuinely useful option for meal prep when you need something reliable and flavorful on hand.
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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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