Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad

This is a favorite of mine! My stepmom and I first made this my freshman year in college as an experiment, and I have been making it ever since. May be served hot or cold.

INGRIDIENT

1 ½ cups uncooked brown rice

3 cups water

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

½ cup raisins

¼ sweet onion (such as Vidalia®), chopped

¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 ¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup feta cheese

DIRECTION

Step: 1

Bring brown rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.

Step: 2

Combine red bell pepper, peas, raisins, onion, and olives in a bowl.

Step: 3

Whisk vegetable oil, vinegar, and mustard together in a separate bowl for the balsamic dressing.

Step: 4

Stir brown rice and balsamic dressing into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.

Step: 5

Top brown rice and vegetables with feta cheese before serving.