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Home » Recipes » Easy Vegan Side Dishes

Published: Aug 3, 2021 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Vegan Asian Brown Rice Salad

Jump to Recipe

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.

Rice salad with components separated with dressing, edamame, chili flakes and a pair of fork and spoon beside.

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.

Jump to:
  • 💚Why you will love this recipe
  • 🍚What you will need
  • 📃Notes/substitutions
  • 🔪How to make
  • ✔Helpful tips
  • ✨Variations
  • 🥗How to serve
  • ❔Commonly asked questions
  • 🍽More vegan salad recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

💚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

Ingredient needed to make this Asian rice salad.

📃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.

Showing pouring dressing in the salad with a bowl of edamame in the background.

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✔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.

Rice salad in a bowl with fork and spoon on the side. There is a bowl of edamame in the background.

🥗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

Is this recipe gluten-free ?

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.

How long does this salad last?

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.

What kind of rice are best for salads?

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.

Vegan rice salad served in a large bowl with fork and spoon on the side.

🍽More vegan salad recipes

  • Quinoa salad topped with chopped cilantro with a fork, bowl of tofu, jar of curry powder and cilantro beside.
    Spicy Indian Red Quinoa Salad
  • Pasta salad in a white bowl with fork. There are cherry tomatoes and black peppercorns in the background.
    Easy High Protein Pasta Salad
  • Thai quinoa cabbage salad served in a deep plate with large serving fork and spoon beside it.
    Crunchy Thai Quinoa Cabbage Salad
  • A plate of halved rice paper rolls served with peanut sauce.
    Vegan Tofu Rice Paper Rolls

If you made this recipe, leave a rating and comment below. We would love to hear from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

📖 Recipe

A close up shot of a bowl containing different components of the salad.

Asian Vegan Brown Rice Salad

Meesha
This vegan Asian rice salad is crunchy, light & super flavorful, yet is also really filling & satisfying ! Easy to throw together & is ready under 30 mins.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 183 kcal

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
Prevent your screen from going dark

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

*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.
**Oil-free - Omit sesame oil in the dressing, and optionally top vegan rice salad with some toasted sesame seeds instead.
 
Making 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.
 
Storing - 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. 

Save this recipe!

Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.

Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 389mgPotassium: 279mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1757IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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A headshot of Mee Sha leaning on a handrail.

Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

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