This simple crunchy veggie-packed salad comes together super fast and makes for a delicious simple summer meal or work lunch. Chewy, nutty brown rice, lots of raw veggies, chicken or edamame (for protein), and fresh herbs get tossed in a punchy sesame peanut dressing and topped with crunchy peanuts.
Ingredient highlight
Brown rice! My favorite and most used rice variety because it’s easy to cook and has a nice chewy texture. Since it’s a whole grain, the bran has not been removed, which contains most of the nutritional benefits. It’s a great source of B vitamins, iron, selenium, magnesium and other trace minerals. It also contains some protein (about 5g in 1 cup cooked).
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- ½ cup short grain brown rice about 1 heaping cup cooked
- 4 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage (¼ cabbage)
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, chopped about 1 ½ cups
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli about 1 small head
- 1 cup shredded carrot about 2 carrots
- 1 cup shredded chicken or edamame
- 1 cup chopped cilantro, mint and/or basil
- ½ cup peanuts
For the sesame peanut dressing:
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp fish sauce*
- 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
- *If you want to skip the fish sauce, substitute with more soy sauce or tamari
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the brown rice and enough water to cover by about two inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium to keep it at a gentle boil and cook for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Drain through a fine mesh strainer, then set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. If too thick, add more water to thin, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste and season with more salt or lime juice, if needed.
- In a large bowl, add the cooled rice, cabbage, cucumber, broccoli, carrot, chicken or edamame, and herbs. Add ⅔ of the dressing and toss to coat.
- Serve topped with an extra drizzle of dressing, peanuts and more herbs if you have any leftover.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook ½ cup brown rice
- Prep 4 cups cabbage
- Peel, de-seed, and chop 1 cucumber
- Finely chop 1 cup broccoli
- Grate 1 cup carrot
- Chop 1 cup cilantro
- Shred chicken or thaw edamame
- Make peanut dressing
Substitutions:
- Substitute rice with any grain (quinoa, farro, millet, etc…)
- Use any combination of thinly sliced or finely chopped raw crunchy veggies in this salad (about 7-8 cups worth).
- If allergic to peanuts, use almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini in place of peanut butter. Substitute toasted almonds or seeds for the peanuts.
- To with a fried egg or two instead of chicken or edamame.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This salad (and all salads!) taste best close to room temperature but is also delicious right out of the fridge.
- Top leftovers with any remaining dressing, herbs, and peanuts. Wake it up with a squeeze of lime.
- Top with a fried egg!
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