This refreshing summer salad is incredibly healthy and amazingly simple to prepare. My husband requests this salad on a near weekly basis and I love making it because it's light and packed full of flavor, but still fills me up. It is also very easy to customize, so feel free to experiment with whatever you have around the kitchen!
The addition of hummus in the dressing for this salad provides a lovely creaminess and a bit of protein! You can definitely make your own hummus if you are feeling ambitious or you can skip the hummus altogether and use tahini in its place. A bit of cayenne pepper also gives it a hint of heat. My husband has an aversion to olives, but I also enjoy the briney, salty bite of a few black olives in this salad.
Serves 3+
Ingredients
- 1 English Cucumber
- Sliced & quartered
- I like to use an English cucumber in this recipe, but a standard garden cucumber is just as delicious!
- I don't usually peel the cucumber, but feel free
- 3/4 cup of Brown Basmati Rice
- Farro works wonderfully too!
- 1/4 cup of Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Chopped
- 2 Small Avocados
- Cubed
- 1/2 of a Bell Pepper
- Diced
- Salt + Pepper
- 1 cup of Hummus
- I generally use store-bought hummus in either a garlic or Mediterranean flavor
- 1/3 cup of Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon of Fresh Ginger
- Minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- I usually add 1 to 2 teaspoons, but adjust the heat however you prefer it
Directions
- Prepare the rice according to the directions associated with the product that you are using
- While the rice is cooking, add all of your dressing ingredients into a large bowl
- Stir until smooth
- Add oil, lime, or some additional vinegar if you prefer a thinner consistency
- When the rice has cooked about halfway, add your sun-dried tomatoes to the pot to soften them up and add a nice flavor to the rice
- Add the chopped veggies to your bowl and gently fold to coat with the dressing
- Once the rice has fully cooked and cooled for a few minutes, add it to your bowl and stir to combine
- Add salt and pepper to taste
That's it! You can eat this salad right away or let it chill in the refrigerator until it is nice and cool.
Enjoy!
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