Vegan Asian Rice Salad Recipe

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 08/28/22
Cold asian rice salad

The Spruce

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Need a quick dinner idea or a way to use up leftover rice? Try this vegan Asian rice salad recipe, a balanced vegetarian meal made with brown rice and vegetables for a fantastic mix of flavors and textures. It's a little bit sweet and a little bit sour, with lots of crunchy texture. 

You can serve this hot, but it really shines as a cold salad, making it a perfect vegetarian option for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues, since it's easy to make a big batch.

This rice salad dish makes a simple vegan dinner idea for a hot summer day. It's also a simple gluten-free vegan dinner idea, though be sure to use certified gluten-free rice vinegar. If you like flavorful vegetarian rice recipes such as this one, you might also want to try a vegan Spanish paella.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup peanut oil, or a neutral-flavored oil, such as safflower oil or canola oil

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or sea salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 4 cups cooked brown rice, chilled

  • 1 carrot, diced

  • 1/2 cup snow peas, chopped

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar

  • 1 stalk celery, diced

  • 1/2 large bell pepper, red or yellow, diced

  • 3 green onions, chopped

  • 1/2 cup corn kernels, optional

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Ingredients for cold asian rice salad
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  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the peanut oil, salt, black pepper, sugar, and sesame oil. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.

    Combine peanut oil, salt, black pepper
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  3. Pour the mixture over the chilled brown rice in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to coat the rice, then set the bowl aside.

    Chilled brown rice in bowl
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  4. Steam the diced carrots, snow peas, and corn if desired, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they just start to turn tender. Plunge them into an ice bath to flash chill them and halt the cooking process, drain them, then stir the vegetables into the rice.

    Steam the diced corn and carrots
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  5. Add the remaining ingredients, from the rice vinegar through the chopped green onions, and toss to distribute the vegetables throughout the rice.

    Add the remaining ingredients
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  6. Serve the salad chilled and garnished with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, if desired.

Variations

  • Substitute rice noodles, quinoa, farro (note that it won't be a gluten-free dish), or another favorite grain for the brown rice.
  • Add bean sprouts, shelled edamame, chopped peanuts, or a squeeze of fresh lime for a bright flavor. Substitute chopped fresh mint for the parsley or cilantro.
  • Add minced garlic or ginger, a dab of chili paste, or a dash of red pepper flakes to taste for a spicy component.
  • Add cooked lentils to increase the heft and protein content of the dish.
  • Top the salad with popcorn, spicy baked chickpeas, or seasoned hemp seeds for a creative crunch.
  • Serve the salad on a bed of arugula, kale, spinach, or other greens.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
191 Calories
8g Fat
26g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 191
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 53mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 18mg 89%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 177mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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