Chilled Santa Fe Rice Salad is a great side dish idea for taco night and is even filling enough for a light workday lunch.

Spring is right around the corner and I’m starting to really think a lot about salads, and not just the green, leafy kind. Chilled Santa Fe Rice Salad is a great side dish idea for taco night and is even filling enough for a light workday lunch. Make the salad the night before and add the diced avocado just before serving. The basic recipe includes brown rice, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese tossed with a homemade vinaigrette and diced avocado. You can mix it up for your taste by substituting white rice for the brown, kidney beans instead of black beans, or use your favorite type of cheese. I had some Kerrygold Aged Cheddar on hand and I thought it really worked well with this dish. Also, if you’re a fan of cilantro, by all means toss that in, too!

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Yield: 6 servings

Santa Fe Rice Salad

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Chilled Santa Fe Rice Salad is a great side dish idea for taco night and is even filling enough for a light workday lunch.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 cups cooked brown rice, chilled
• 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, diced
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 small ripe avocado, diced

Dressing

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Salad

1. In a large bowl, toss together the rice, beans, tomato, cheese and green onions. Save the avocado to add after chilling.

Dressing

1. Whisk together all remaining ingredients except for the avocado. Pour over rice salad and mix well.
2. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, add diced avocado, stirring gently.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Fresh Market Cookbook

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 18g Cholesterol: 28mg Sodium: 364mg Carbohydrates: 26g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 11g