Amazing Brown Rice Salad

I followed the directions exactly as stated, except that I let the rice cool before adding the other ingredients. It was delicious and wasn't sticky, clumpy or mushy. I'll be making this again.

This was very good and versitile. I added some shredded carrots for color and the next day added leftover chicken for a lunch. Thank you.

Wow! I found this recipe and whipped it up at the last minute. Boy, was I impressed. This is really yummy. I omitted the celery since I did not have any but did not miss it. I did not have any premade balsamic dressing so I made some using a Good Seasons garlic and herb packet and balsamic vinegar. I can't wait to make this again. Thanks for the recipe.

This is a great recipe. Easy to prepare and fabulous variety of textures and flavors.

With a good, sweet dressing, this is a pretty good salad. If your vinaigrette is savory instead of sweet, I don't think it would be as good. I used a brown-wild rice blend because it looked more festive, but brown would taste good, too, I'm sure.

It was ok. I added some chopped carrots to the mix. Definitely must eat right away-- not very good as left overs because the rice seems to get mushy after a day. Will make again.

My husband and I loved this. He packs a lunch every day, and this is perfect for hot summer days, when a sandwich is just too much. Better even the second day, or make it early in the day for that night. A definite keeper.

Delicious, and tastes even better the second day! Chill for at least a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. I sometimes substitute instant brown rice and it comes out fine.

I added too much balsamic vinegar to this recipe and it was too strong.

I liked this, but next time I will use a homemade balsamic dressing. The one I bought was too tangy and didn't have enough spices - I liked everything else about this salad.

I went to the local chinese restaurant and purchased steamed brown rice to use in this recipe. It was perfect for this salad, since the rice grains are still rounded and not mushy at all like homemade brown rice would be. Also instead of cranberries I used chopped dried apricots. This was a wonderful salad, really different and totally delicious. Friends liked it too.

Not a hit with the kids. They didn't like the sweet flavor.

I made this as one of several salades for a baby shower held her. Everyone raved about this salad and wanted the recipe. it was super. Thanks Glorybe

I wanted to make something different for our family reunion this year. I followed the directions to the letter except I doubled the recipe, I kept it refrigerated or in the cooler until it came time to serve it. Was I ever mortified! The salad had turned into a gummy, congealed mess!! I ended up taking the whole thing home and throwing it in the garbage!!!

Made this tonight to go along with our burgers. It was a pretty good salad. It came together quickly. I added some diced red pepper. Like someone else mentioned I bet some sliced almonds would be good in it too. I didn't have a bottled Balsamic dressing so I found a recipe here to use. Thanks for the post!

This was pretty good. I cooked my brown rice a little too long, and it was gummy. Good flavor though.

Pretty good, but a bit bland for our tastes. This made a lot more than 4 side dish servings.

I thought this was pretty good, although I did make some changes to make it taste even better. I added 1 chopped up chicken breast and a can of mandarin oranges to the mix. I thought the flavors blended very nicely this way and was much better for leftovers the next day. Thanks for the recipe!

Good healthy salad. I didn't have any balsamic vinegar, so I used raspberry walnut vinegrette, omitted the sugar and was very happy with the results.

I only gave this 4 stars because it is a good base recipe. As with most I made my own additions. I cooked the rice according to the directions, Brown Basmati. Let it cool and then added the rest of the ingredients and let it all set together for a few hours. Probably best to make it in the morning for dinner. I added walnuts, red peppers, and green onions to that is already listed. It turned out great!! Thanks for the recipe.

This is very good. I used dried cherries, since I was out of cranberries. It worked out fine.

I really liked this recipe. I would never have thought of putting these ingredients together, but I think it makes a great side dish. Thanks for the recipe!

I thought this recipe had way too much of a vinegar taste.

I have made this recipe several times as it travels well for camping. Because you add the dressing while the rice is still hot I've found that the rice soaks it up and can leave the salad on the dry side. We always double the dressing recipe add half when preparing the salad and reserve half for adding after the salad has cooled.

This was so quick and easy to make. I used Success brown rice and it turned out perfect. Added a handful of diced yellow and orange bell pepper, looked very pretty! My favorite balsamic dressing is Good Seasons Italian packet made up with balsamic vinegar, it is the BEST! Forgot the sugar, didn't miss it!

I was somewhat skeptical of this recipe as it just didn't seem to have too many enticing ingredients. But I was looking for a healthy summer lunch recipe and happened to have all ingredients on hand so I gave it a try. It came out a big winner. Wonderful textures, very flavorful and satisfying. Will definitely be a summer staple at our house!

I used half of a regular balsamic vinaigrette and half raspberry walnut balsamic vinaigrette. And I substituted the sugar with stevia. I also added a little bit of finely chopped walnuts. This was very good!!!

This got better the longer it sat. I made it 3 days ago, and just had it for lunch.

I'VE MADE THIS RECIPE SEVERAL TIMES AND VARIED THE DRIED FRUIT DEPENDING ON WHAT I HAD. RAISINS, CHERRIES, BLUEBERRIES. IT WAS VERY POPULAR AT POT LUCKS AND KEEPS WELL FOR 4 DAYS IF REFRIGERATED.

Good option to plain old brown rice! Liked it as is (but didn't use full amount of dressing-just because kids aren't huge fans). We also only had cherry flavored craisins on hand so I added a bit of curry powder on a whim and it was quite yummy.

This dish was so bad, I thought someone was playing a cruel joke by posting it in the first place. The flavors do not go together at all (cranberries and rice???). Since the dish was already made, we thought we'd be adventurious and bring it to our party anyway. Nobody would have more than one bite. It could have been embarassing, but we warned people in advance so we all had a good laugh about it.

This is a great recipe. Made it on Sunday and have been lunching on it off and on since. just right,

Very good! I used white rice and made my own balsamic vinaigrette. Hubby wants it again soon. There's a good sign! :)

Loved it. It's a hit everytime. I only make a few adjustments - use wildrice, a little less dressing and and only a teaspoon of sugar. An easy dish to make ahead of time and wow your guests!

This was okay, but it seemed like something was missing. I would add less sugar. Might add some nuts next time - toasted slivered almonds or walnuts.

This was so easy and very good. I used my rice steamer which requires equal parts rice and water. I also used vegetable broth instead of water. Makes it even tastier! We packed it in a cooler and enjoyed it on the lake. I will make this again soon! Thank You.

Hubby said it would be a 5 if it had blue cheese in the recipe - which he added.

We ate this immediately after I made it and it was ok but nothing to rave about. I have a feeling it may taste better tomorrow after the flavors have time to meld in the refrigerator. If not I may try it again but omit the celery.

Very good! Next time I will not use1/2 cup vinaigrette a bit less would taste better for me. I added chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds and almonds. This gives a nice crunch. Also doubled the dried cranberries. I loved this recipe and so did my family!

Awesome recipe, I also added a half cup of thinly sliced carrots and toasted almonds. It's great!

This is a wonderful side salad! I love the flavors together. I have made this twice, once following the recipe exactly. The second time I cooked my rice using 2 Cups of fat free chicken stock instead of water. It gave the rice added flavor and complimented the other ingredients in this dish. I'll be making this often. Thank you!

Pretty good, but I would double the celery, onion and cranberries next time. It needed more "oomph."

GREAT!! I loved this salad. I added 1/2 of a red pepper and made my own balsamic dressing. My husband didn't care for it, but he doesn't like to try new things. I didn't have any problems with it turning mushy or clumpy even the next day (it was a great leftover lunch). The trick is to not use minute rice and not to cook the rice too long. Will make this over and over again!!

Made this last night. I didn't have any balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, so I mixed balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic and sugar until it tasted right. I also omitted the red onion as my husband abhors onions, chopped the dried cranberries, as they were really chubby, and cut the sugar in half since I had added sugar to the dressing. This was absolutely delicious! There were only three of us at dinner and it's all gone.

THIS SALAD WAS AMAZING! THIS WAS MADE FOR A WEDDING AND IT TURNED OUT PERFECTLY. WE USED WHITE RICE, THE ONLY CHANGE WE MADE. THANKX SO MUCH FO THIS WINNER OF A RECIPE.OH YEAH,IT WAS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE AHEAD OF TIME AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT GOING BAD WITH THE MAYO OR MIRACLE WHIP GOING BAD. THANKS AGAIN

Actually, this salad is only as good as the dressing you use. I didn't like the dryness of the rice in the salad. Maybe I didn't marinade it long enough? I ended up adding the salad as a filling to enchiladas, adding cumin and chili powder. The sweetness of the salad added an interesting twist to the enchiladas. We liked the enchiladas a lot better than the salad.

This is a good salad, very tasty and can be eaten for a quick healthy lunch. Add a sandwich on the side. It's perfect.

delicious! Added diced orange and sliced almonds which made it amazing.

I did not care for this recipe. I did everything according to the directions and we did not eat it.

i made as directed and thought the salad was very bland. just so~so.

A wonderful flavor...calories are high, so I used Splenda,replacing the sugar, and used a low fat balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, which brought the calorie count down 75 per serving. This will be a "must" for Thanksgiving in our house. A beautiful blend of flavors.

I don't often review recipes, but I must make an exception for this...The balsamic vinegrette salad dressing smelt and tasted so bad that I did not want to eat for another three hours after it. I will never ever even attempt to make this again.

Everyone loved it - even my husband who doesn't like brown rice! Made this salad for "health" night at our church. We're studying Daniel and the goal was to eat like he would have for one night. No sugar was allowed, but the cranberries were sweet enough, you really don't need it! It seems like a strange mix of ingredients, but trust me - it's delish!

Just made it, and love it freshly made, but I'm predicting it'll taste even better for my picnic tomorrow! I added carrot for some more color and crunch. I forgot to buy the red onion, so I minced a small yellow onion very fine in the mini chopper instead. I only gave 4 stars because I'm not sure my family will love it or not. But will edit rating when I find out.

I thought I would love this because I really like all the ingredients, but the flavors together were odd. Maybe it was the balsamic dressing I used (Ken's) , but it didn't come together well.

Great Summer salad. I chilled the rice before tossing with dressing,canberries & celery. I also used Minute Brown Rice to quicken things up...Everyone loved it..Thank you.

Loved this recipe. Will be making it again.

I'm generally not a rice salad fan, but this was awesome! I did as others suggested and cooked the rice in chicken stock and added diced red peppers - color was great and taste sensational! Thanks for sharing.

I served this dish at a party and everyone loved it! It's a great starting-point recipe, too, as you could adjust the ingredients to find exactly the flavor you like (but I followed the recipe exactly and everyone had seconds!).

Very tasty recipe. I used raspberry vinagrette and dried cherries and also stirred in toasted slivered almonds at the last minute. Leftovers are great with diced chicken added.

Prepared exactly to recipe. This salad is refreshing and delicious with a perfect zing. I will definitely make it over and over again.

This is a great basic recipe for a quick lunch/snack, and soooo easy to make! Like others, I added a few more ingredients to the mix. A can of red kidney beans, and handful of shredded spinach, and some wild rice mixed in make for a complete meal in a bowl. I also swapped the cranberries for fresh black seedless grapes a couple of times, which was awesome too. Thanks for the recipe SUZANNEHENDRIX. :)

I added some toasted almonds for taste and texture. This is a tasty and healthy dish. My family really liked this!

This is wonderful. I actually served it warm, didn't read that you were supposed to chill it, and came out wonderful. The celery gave it a great crunch. Definitely pumps up your normal blah brown rice

Thanks for the inspiration! Used diced carrots and cucumber, toasted almonds and cranberries w/ balsamic vinaigrette on leftover brown rice for a delicious & healthy lunch in minutes.

I love this salad, especially with a light dressing.

Very, very good! I used pearl onions instead of red onions since I'm not a big onion fan, and I used chopped pecans instead of celery. The cranberries and balsamic were an oddly good combination. I made it for a pot luck at work and got a thumbs up!

I added diced prunes and that contrasted the cranberries nicely

Pleasant surprise, will be making again!

This salad is sensational! And so quick and easy to do (especially if you have a rice cooker). I made it exactly as the recipe instructed, it came out delicious and everyone wanted more. No leftovers, so I'm making more this morning! SUZANNEHENDRIX, this recipe is truly amazing :-)

Makes alot! I can cut it in 1/2 and it's still too much for two of us at one meal but that also leaves leftovers!

Love this just as it is!!!

I did not know what to expect but was very pleased. I added chopped dried apricots and chopped almonds as others suggested, along with craisins, 1/2 the red onion, and molasses instead of sugar in the balsamic vinaigrette - only because I was trying to use up stuff in the pantry. Great picnic side dish.

This is a really tasty dish. It is definitely better the next day. I will make this again but next time I will try some of the things the other reviewers mentioned(adding carrots, sliced almonds or chicken).

not very popular dish at my party.

I used Minute Rice and it came out fine, though I added a bit more sugar. Sitting in the fridge definitely helped the flavor!

I love this recipe! I've made it so many times I almost have it memorized. I can't eat most commercial salad dressings due to the soybean oil, so I make my own vinaigrette. Easy recipe and delicious!

Ok, I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I had something I wanted to use up. For those who LOVE spice, here is a twist....I had 1 can of chilpolte peppers in adobe sauce leftover in fridge minus one chili (liquid and chilis). I put this in with the rice and water to cook with the rice. Removed whole chilis after rice was finished cooking. Followed rest of recipe but for balsamic dressing used 1 tbsp only olive oil and 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (good quality stuff is VERY worth it). Very smoky and hot, with a little sweet. But only for spicy inclined - very heavy kick that sneaks up on you. Thanks for the recipe. Will try it the published way next time!

I will definitely make this again. Delicious, healthy and easy to make. I will definitely make this in a bigger batch for family get together.

I didn't think this salad had much flavor. I think it waould be much better with a different type of dressing. I like brown rice and all the other ingredients, but I was disappointed with the outcome.

this recipe was delicious! It was easy to make, very healthy, and tasty. I made it the day before, so the flavors blended overnight in the fridge. I think this made it more tasty.

I loved this recipe! It would be perfect for a pot luck!

great, quick recipe. First time yesterday, a big hit.

Took this salad to a block watch party. Everyone loved it. I added some shredded chicken to this the next day and it was fantastic.

very yummy! i added a quarter cup of finely chopped carrots instead of sugar and it was fantastic! I will add this to my regular rotation

Very good and healthy

This is very good! I tripled the recipe for a potluck but double would have been plenty. I made this with wild rice, following the same instructions as with brown rice. I rinsed the rice with cold water before mixing it with the other ingredients. I don't know if I make rice wrong, but I hate the starchy glaze that my rice gets after I cook it and rinsing it makes all the grains separate. I used a whole red onion and next time will reduce the amount as it's too strong for my liking, particularly since I made this the night before. I am looking forward to making this with real cranberries during the Christmas season. With the mix of red and green from the cranberries and celery, this will be perfect for that time of year.

This is so easy to make and so very good. I decreased the amount of red onion and increased the amount of cranberries. Perfect. Next time I will double the recipe, as even my husband enjoyed it!

This recipe is simple, delicious, and healthy. Sometimes we add some slivered almonds or even flaxseeds on top for a little crunch.

Easy to make. I made the brown rice the night before so I could add everything else in the morning & be done. Since we like cranberries I added more. I may try using raspberry vinaigrette next time instead of the balsamic.

Wasn't overly impressed. It tasted ok, but kinda bland. I was hoping for a good and healthy party salad. Will have to keep looking.