Brown Rice Summer Salad with Golden Beets and White Wine Vinaigrette

Nutrition is in full supply in this delightful brown rice summer salad. Fresh-picked flavors from the golden beets, sweet grapes, and crisp celery (all at their peak in summer!) are combined with a light white wine vinaigrette and a slightly earthy whole grain base.

This brown rice summer salad recipe with photo was shared with us by the California Table Grape Commission.

Special Diet Notes & Options: Brown Rice Summer Salad

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and generally food allergy-friendly.

Grainy Alternatives: Don’t be hesitant to use another grain in place of the brown rice, like cooked quinoa, millet, or wheat berries (if gluten-free isn’t a necessity for your crew).

Brown Rice Summer Salad with Golden Beets and White Wine Vinaigrette

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Grapes from California

Serves: 8 (6 cups)

Ingredients

4 medium golden beets, scrubbed
⅓ cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey (use agave nectar for vegan)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup halved red seedless California grapes
Pinch cayenne
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Trim off all but 1 inch of the stem on the beets and place them in a small baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until a paring knife inserted into the center of the beets goes in easily, about 60–90 minutes. Let cool until easy to handle.
Peel, then cut the beets into ½-inch wedges.
Meanwhile, combine the onion, garlic and vinegar in a large mixing bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Whisk in the oil, honey and salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice, beets, celery, grapes, cayenne, and parsley and toss to combine.
Serve warm or chilled.