This red rice pinto bean taco salad bowl recipe is very simple, filling, healthy and nutritious. I packed it for my husband’s lunch one day and he was so happy with it, he asked for the exact same lunch next few days in a row. Hmmm…(Scratches head)!! That was rather peculiar considering that the recipe is quite simple, really….So, here it goes…
Recipe
Chewy Red Rice and creamy pinto beans cooked with taco seasoning make for this delightful and healthy, vegetarian taco bowl.
- 1 cup Cooked Red Rice
- 2 tsp Chopped Jalapenos
- Finely Chopped Cilantro (bunch)
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 cup Cooked Pinto Beans
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Finely Chopped Cucumber
- 1 tbsp Finely chopped onion (soaked in water)
- 1/2 cup Chopped tomatoes
- 1 Chopped Avocado
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
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Heat Oil in pan. Saute jalapeno peppers, followed by rice for a few minutes. Add coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and give it a stir. Switch off the heat.
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Heat Oil in pan. Add taco seasoning spice mix, stir for about 10-20 seconds. Add cooked pinto beans and let it come to a boil. Smash some of the pinto beans for extra creaminess.
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Cut and chop veggies mentioned above. Sprinkle all with lemon juice and salt and let them ‘pickle’ for a few minutes.
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Add all components to a bowl. Add a scoop of greek yogurt (or sour cream) at the top. Serve!!
- The red rice I used is a hard Sri Lankan Red rice variety. I cooked it in Instant Pot for 20 minutes and stored it in the refrigerator. Yes, the hard red rice needs 20 minutes – not the standard 12 minute ‘rice’ setting.
- The taco seasoning I used has corn meal as its ingredients. So, it is a mild seasoning, yet it also thickens the beans. I get mine from Costco and highly recommend it. It is very tasty.
Additional Pictures
The rice:
I used the dark red rice from Sri Lanka for this recipe…
You have to cook it for 20 minutes (Pressure cook) in the Instant Pot with 1:2 water ratio. This rice takes longer to cook. The first time I cooked this rice, I underestimated the time to cook (I did the usual 12 min). The family was not thrilled.
But I am glad I did not give up. Cooking it longer gave well-cooked grains with a good chew perfect for rice salads.
I cook the rice in bulk and store in the refrigerator to use during the week.
Heat the oil. Add jalapenos, followed by rice, then coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt.
The Beans:
Add taco seasoning to hot oil and cooked pinto beans (canned or cooked from scratch) and let it cook for a few minutes.
Conclusion
I think the chewiness of the red rice and the creaminess of the pinto beans is what makes this recipe delicious. Adding the chopped veggies gives it a nice crunch in between.
I used the left over the spiced pinto beans to make a quesadilla for the kids. It is a very versatile recipe. You could also wrap all the ingredients in a tortilla and make a burrito as well.
I hope you try this recipe. Please post your thoughts and comments below. I look forward to them.
Looking to buy red rice?
Here’s a similar rice I found online:
*Amazon Affiliate Link*
Looking for other salad recipes?
Try these:
Looks like a really interesting and easy recipe! Definitely something to try.
Where do you get the Red Rice from?
Hi Chhaya,
I got this from my local Indian grocery store called Trinethra in Newark, CA. I will add an amazon link in the post for something similar available online.
Swetha