Lactose Free Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Olives & Cucumber
Bright, herby, and loaded with Mediterranean flavor, this grain salad is the kind of dish that makes you feel like you're eating well without any effort or sacrifice. Every component — juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley — brings something to the table, and the lemon-oregano dressing ties it all together with a punchy, sun-soaked finish. The whole thing is naturally free of dairy in any form, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-checking required — just clean, vibrant ingredients from start to finish. Brown rice gives it satisfying body and a slightly nutty backbone that holds up beautifully to the bold dressing, especially after a rest in the fridge. That resting time is actually a bonus: the flavors deepen as it sits, making leftovers arguably better than the first serving. Whether you're packing it for lunch, bringing it to a potluck, or serving it as a hearty side at dinner, this salad travels well and keeps for up to three days. A handful of fresh mint stirred in at the end adds an optional but genuinely lovely lift if you have it 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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