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Ultimate Grain Salad Recipes for Flavorful Meal Prep

This chilled Grain Salad combines nutty brown rice, fresh herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, and red onion in a simple lemon and garlic olive oil dressing. Make a batch and enjoy easy lunches all week.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

This is my current favorite salad — bright, easy, and satisfying without feeling heavy. Leftover chilled brown rice gets tossed with lots of fresh herbs, diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, crumbled feta, and thinly sliced red onion. A quick dressing of fresh lemon juice, garlic olive oil, salt, and pepper brings everything together.

The salad works well as a stand-alone vegetarian meal for warm weather, or as a colorful side to grilled chicken, pork, or fish. For extra protein, add grilled Greek-style chicken, canned tuna, or canned salmon.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

Rice Salad

For the best texture, use well-chilled leftover rice. If you don’t have leftover rice, spread freshly cooked rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for about an hour until cold. Chilled rice prevents the vegetables and cheese from being warmed by residual heat and helps the grains remain separate. This change in starch structure, called retrogradation, reduces mushiness and keeps the salad pleasantly textured.

Brown basmati is my preference: the long grains separate nicely and keep a pleasant bite. Any long-grain brown rice will work; avoid instant or quick-cook rice because processing can compromise flavor and texture.

Herb choices shape the salad’s character. I like a mix of parsley, dill, and mint for a Mediterranean profile. If you have lots of cilantro, substitute it for some of the dill or mint for a fresher, more herbaceous note.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

If you don’t have garlic-infused olive oil, you can use plain extra-virgin olive oil combined with a little minced garlic. Adjust the garlic to taste so it complements but doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

Grain Salad

Combine the chilled brown rice, crumbled feta, diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, and sliced red onion in a large mixing bowl.

Add the chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.

You can serve the salad right away, but it benefits from at least an hour in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld. Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for several days and makes quick lunches or sides throughout the week.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

Grain Salad

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
This chilled Grain Salad is full of brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and red onion, dressed simply with lemon and garlic olive oil. Make a batch and enjoy easy lunches all week.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Spoon
  • Knife
  • Cutting board

Ingredients

  

  • 4 cups chilled cooked brown rice
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 seedless cucumber diced
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
  • ½ red onion peeled and thinly sliced or diced
  • 1 cup fresh herbs about 2/3 parsley, plus dill and mint
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ⅓ cup garlic olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

  • Add the brown rice, feta, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and onion to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Stir in the herbs, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss gently until evenly coated.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld. Store leftovers in an airtight container for several days.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 13g

Nutritional information is an estimate provided for convenience. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!