A great side dish like this gluten free Southwest Rice Salad is easy to toss together, great while warm, at room temp or chilled. Fresh and canned veggies keep it quick and simple to make. The herbs and seasonings are a balance of tangy citrus with creamy avocado and salty queso fresco. Pair it with your favorite grilled or roasted protein for a weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
Long Grain Rice
I like to use long grain rice like Jasmine because the grains are less likely to stick together once cooked. This will allow all of the other ingredients to combine easily with the rice without becoming a clumpy mess. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand though if sticky rice doesn’t bother you in a recipe like this.
Olive oil and salt in the water will result in more flavorful and less sticky rice. An easy addition with a noticeable impact in the rice.
Bring the Southwest Rice Salad Together
Once the rice has cooked, transfer it to a serving bowl and allow it to cool for a few minutes. If you added all of the ingredients together while the rice is super hot, it could end up cooking the veggies and cheese. Therefore, once it has cooled off a bit, add in the remaining ingredients (except the avocado) and give it a good stir.
It can be covered and stored in the fridge overnight if needed. Or top with the avocado, some extra queso fresco and cilantro then dig in!
More Gluten Free Recipes to Check Out
- Santorini Rice
- Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
- Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad
- Winter Rice Medley
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Coconut Rice
Southwest Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice - I use Jasmine
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 15 oz canned corn - drained
- 15 oz black beans - drained
- 1 red bell pepper - seeded & diced
- 1 cup queso fresco - crumbled
- ½ cup fresh cilantro - rinsed & chopped
- 2 limes - juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1-2 avocadoes - sliced or diced
- extra cilantro & queso fresco - for garnish
Instructions
- Bring water, olive oil and salt to a boil. Stir in the rice. Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through, then transfer to a large serving bowl and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Combine remaining ingredients (except for avocado) with the rice and stir to combine well. Taste and re-season if needed. It can be covered and stored in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top with avocado and drizzle with more lime juice.