This vegan Asian brown rice salad is crunchy, light & super flavorful, yet is also really filling & satisfying ! Easy to throw together & is ready under 30 mins. Makes a great side dish or light lunch.
Looking for a salad that is actually filling and hearty ? Give this Asian vegan rice salad a try ! This salad features fluffy brown rice and fresh veggies paired with a sweet and savory Chinese inspired soy sesame dressing.
Like my Thai green curry fried rice and broccoli mushroom rice casserole, this is another great recipe to use up leftover rice.
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- Bold in flavor and tasty - The sesame soy dressing for this vegan rice salad is rich, savory and packed full of Asian flavors!
- Quick and easy to make - It is literally ready in almost no time at all, and this recipe only calls for simple and easily accessible ingredients.
- Customizable and versatile - Almost any component of this Asian brown rice salad can be substituted with whatever you like or have on hand.
- A great lunchbox meal - This salad is one of the recipes that are meant to be eaten at room temperature, so it is literally perfect to be taken with you to school or work!
🍚What you will need
📃Notes/substitutions
- Brown rice - You can use other variety of rice in place, like Jasmine rice, white rice or wild rice. Avoid using short grain rice or sushi rice as they tend to stick and clump together easily.
- Dressing - The ingredients and instructions are provided in the recipe card below to make your own sesame soy dressing, but you can definitely use your favorite store-bought dressing in place.
- Oil-free - Omit sesame oil in the dressing, and optionally top vegan rice salad with some toasted sesame seeds instead.
🔪How to make
There are literally only 3 steps in this recipe - chop up your veggies, make the sauce and toss everything together !
To make the sauce, simply combine all ingredients needed.
In a large salad bowl, place the veggies and rice in, then toss in the sauce. Toss until everything is thoroughly incorporated and well mixed. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.
Optionally, top this vegan brown rice salad with more sesame seeds before serving.
✔Helpful tips
- Make sure to use cooled rice - Warm rice will not hold their shape well and you most likely will end up with a clumpy salad. To cool down freshly cooked rice, spread them thinly on a baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature before using.
- Similarly, avoid using cold rice - If you are using leftover rice, heat it up slightly in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before using. Cold rice tends to be hard, crunchy and simply unpleasant.
- If you have some extra time on hand, let your salad sit and marinate for around 30 minutes before serving to allow time for your veggies and rice to soak up the delicious dressing.
- This vegan rice salad is best served at room temperature.
✨Variations
You can easily change up the flavor and texture of this salad by swapping or adding ingredients to it. Here are some ideas to get you started!
Change up rice with other grains. Some that works really well in salads include farro, barley, couscous and buckwheat. Cook them according to package instructions before adding in.
Use your favorite dressing in place of the sesame soy dressing in this recipe. For example, you can easily make this an Italian-style salad by using some vegan Italian dressing in place. Some other condiments that will pair well includes teriyaki sauce or just a simple dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice and salt!
For a quicker version, you can use packet rice, instead of making your own from scratch. Just make sure to warm it up slightly in the microwave before using. You can also choose to use pre cut vegetables to make the process even easier.
You can also make this vegan rice salad lower in carb by substituting part of or all of the rice with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
🥗How to serve
This vegan rice salad is pretty filling and satisfying on its own. It is great both as a main or side dish.
Some entrees that pairs well with this Asian brown rice salad includes noodle dishes like vegan peanut noodles and stir-fry rice vermicelli noodles. You can also serve it with other Chinese-inspired dish like some vegan egg fried rice, or tofu chop suey.
Some side dish that will go perfectly with this salad includes gochujang tofu, orange tofu chicken and kung pao chickpeas.
Lastly, to give this vegan rice salad some extra texture and flavor, top it off with some chopped roasted nuts like peanuts or almonds, or some crunchy roasted lentils. You can even add in a pinch of chili flakes or drizzle of sriracha if you like yours to be spicy.
❔Commonly asked questions
This vegan Asian rice salad is indeed naturally gluten-free. Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari as some soy sauce out there do contain gluten.
Vegan rice salad will store in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container. However, you will need to warm it up slightly after refrigerating as the texture of rice will change and turn hard and crunchy after chilling. Microwave for 15-30 seconds until salad is somewhat warm.
Whole grain rice like brown rice and wild rice works exceptionally well in this vegan rice salad. They are nutty, chewy yet firm and hold their shape well. Long or medium grain white rice like Jasmine rice and basmati rice are also great candidates.
Avoid using short grain rice like sushi rice as they will clump together and turn mushy really easily.
🍽More vegan salad recipes
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📖 Recipe
Asian Vegan Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients
For the sesame soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
For the salad
- ½ cup frozen edamame
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups cooked brown rice *
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- ½ medium carrot shredded
- ½ medium red pepper diced
Instructions
- Boil edamame in hot water for 1-2 minutes, or until they are thoroughly heated.½ cup frozen edamame
- To make the sauce, simply combine all ingredients needed.1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- In a large salad bowl, place the veggies and rice in, then toss in the sauce. Toss until everything is thoroughly incorporated and well mixed. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.2 cloves garlic, ½ cup frozen edamame
- Optionally, top this vegan brown rice salad with more sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use cooled rice - Warm rice will not hold their shape well and you most likely will end up with a clumpy salad. To cool down freshly cooked rice, spread them thinly on a baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature before using.
- Similarly, avoid using cold rice - If you are using leftover rice, heat it up slightly in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before using. Cold rice tends to be hard, crunchy and simply unpleasant.
- If you have some extra time on hand, let your salad sit and marinate for around 30 minutes before serving to allow time for your veggies and rice to soak up the delicious dressing.
- This vegan rice salad is best served at room temperature.
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