Ginger Free Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber
Bright, herby, and packed with Mediterranean flavor, this grain salad is the kind of dish that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation. Chewy brown rice forms a hearty base, while juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, and sharp red onion bring color and contrast to every forkful. A zippy lemon-oregano dressing ties it all together with a cumin-kissed warmth that feels bold without being overpowering. Because ginger shows up in so many "healthy" grain bowls and packaged dressings these days, it's genuinely refreshing to have a recipe that delivers serious depth of flavor through herbs, citrus, and good olive oil alone. Everything here is straightforward and naturally free of that ingredient — no substitutions needed, no label-checking required. It also keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, making it a reliable meal-prep option that actually gets better as the dressing soaks into the rice.
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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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