A little over a week ago, Ryan and I found out that our new neighbors were big fans of Survivor and tuned in every Wednesday night to watch the reality show unfold. Since Ryan and I were borderline convinced we were the only Survivor fans remaining, we had to take advantage of stumbling upon local fans and planned a casual watch-party cookout (no pants required for those under two years old).
We figured it would be an excuse to get way too into the reality show and a great way to get to know our new neighbors over yummy food! (Two more of our neighbor friends joined us as well even though they aren’t Survivor fans. The more the merrier!)
Since the cookout was a super casual gathering, I didn’t feel a ton of pressure to entertain and kept everything very simple. I planned out easy but delicious dishes and did all of the shopping for our cookout at ALDI. The vast majority of the produce I purchased was organic and the chips, salsa and pantry staples I brought home were almost all from the ALDI SimplyNature line, which is super affordable, includes a lot of organic items and is completely free of any artificial colors or flavors.
You guys, I am honestly blown away by my grocery bill every time I leave ALDI. Ever since Ryan and I visited the revamped Mooresville location after church a few weeks ago following my friend Jess’ praises about their affordable organic foods, I’ve tried to pop in whenever I find myself in the area because the prices and quality cannot be beat. (In our area, the organic produce at ALDI is honestly cheaper than many of our local grocery store’s conventional produce. It’s crazy!)
In the end, our spread included ALDI grass fed organic burgers ($5.29 a pound!), fresh peppers and hummus, grapes, a chopped Asian salad, a selection of ALDI wines, roasted sweet potatoes, baked beans and a Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad that ended up being a crowd favorite.
I am ALL about side dishes I can prep ahead of time that require minimal work, and when they’re also healthy and packed with varying colors, flavors and nutrients, I cannot get enough! To make the Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad we all loved so much, I cooked up a batch of SimplyNature Quick Cook Brown Rice and let it chill in the refrigerator while I chopped organic cherry tomatoes, cilantro and green onions and sliced sweet corn off the cob.
Once everything was ready, I combined the rice and chopped produce with SimplyNature Organic Black Beans and a mix of SimplyNature Organic Spices and Stonemilll Chili Powder before adding avocado to the salad immediately before serving and tossing everything together. It was such a tasty and simple dish and I loved the combination of whole grains, vegetables and spices. It was a hit for sure!
Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
Makes approximately 8 1/2-cup servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked SimplyNature Quick Cook Brown Rice
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh corn cut off the cob (approximately 2 small ears)
- 1 15-ounce can SimplyNature Organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
- juice of 1 large lime
- 1 avocado, cut into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon SimplyNature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon SimplyNature Organic Ground Cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon SimplyNature Organic Ground Garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon Stonemill chili powder
- Stonemill salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except for the avocado in a large bowl. Toss to coat everything in the spices, olive oil and lime juice.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with avocado immediately before serving and enjoy!
Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 cup serving: Calories: 145 / Fat: 5g / Sodium: 110mg / Carbs: 21g / Fiber: 6g / Sugar: 1g / Protein: 5g
Recipe Notes
Though I served this dish as a side dish, it’s also wonderful as meal. If you’re looking to make it a little more filling, consider topping it with grilled chicken or shrimp or adding some edamame to the mix! It’s fantastic as leftovers, too, though the avocado does brown a bit.
If you aren’t a fan of brown rice, quinoa, barley or even wheat berries can be used in this dish in place of the rice. (Wheat berries and barley will result in a chewier salad.)
Enjoy!!!
A mid week cookout with neighbors sounds so fun! And this salad is a delicious combo. I have been meaning to get to Aldi because I’ve heard so many people raving about their organic section. It’s just that my local grocery store is 5 minutes away and Aldi is about 30, so I just need to plan it all out.
Patricia @Sweet And Strong(Quote)
Our ALDI is 15 minutes or so away but it’s super close to our church so we usually go on Sundays or I pop in when I’m up in the area for various reasons. I really do think it’s worth the trip for the savings!
Julie(Quote)
Yup!!! Get to ALDI’s. It was my sisterwho recommended their organic beef but now I get my bacon there too. Their organic section is pretty darn awesome!!! And they carry other things that I’ve wanted, like this bee house and muslin swaddles similar to Aiden and Anais brand.
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden(Quote)
Yummy, this looks delicious!
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups(Quote)
So colorful and would be great for meal prep
Amy | http://www.bucketloadofjoy.com
Amy(Quote)
Definitely! It’s easy to prep ahead for sure — I’d just save the avocados for the last minute. Hope you love it if you decide to give it a try!! 🙂
Julie(Quote)
That sounds so fun! I wish we had an Aldi, I love trying different grocery stores.
Christina @ montessoriishmom.com(Quote)
This combo sounds amazing! I’ve never been to an Aldi but found one not too far away. Can’t wait to check it out!
Annie(Quote)
Yum! I love this combo together! I wish their was an Aldi near me–I dont think I’ve ever heard a bad thing about it!
Heather @ Polyglot Jot(Quote)
This looks so delicious! And will please the variety of taste buds in my house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’ll put an Aldi’s near me soon..but for now I’ll recreate with my Trader Joe’s finds!
Juliette | Namastay Traveling(Quote)
Oh my gosh just when I thought I couldn’t love you more, I do!!! My boyfriend and I are huge Survivor fans. His brothers and father also LOVE the show. I so wish we could’ve come to the cookout with y’all!!! I’m looking forward to trying out Aldi. There is a couple in Baltimore, but we usually shop at Harris Teeter and wow their organic foods are really expensive! Looking forward to checking out Aldi this weekend and seeing what discounts they offer xo
Darby(Quote)
Haha!! I cannot believe next week is the FINALE! Who do you think has the best chance of winning!?
Julie(Quote)
I have no idea honestly!! Who do you want to win? I love Tai! lol
Darby(Quote)
This looks like such a refreshing and healthy meal and I love the seasonal ingredients!
Melissa(Quote)
This looks delicious and I just realized there is an Aldi right across from my gym!
My fiance HATES tomatoes 🙁 do you have any recommendations on what a good substitute would be for those?
Morgan Campbell(Quote)
I’d just leave them out! I don’t think you’ll miss them!
Julie(Quote)
And random fact I had combined birthday party with my neighbor when I turned 10 and she turned 11. Well, it was survivor themed! Her 5th grade friends vs. my 4th grade friends! It was seriously one of the best birthday parties I had as a kid!
Morgan Campbell(Quote)
That sounds like a blast!!
Julie(Quote)
That salad looks amazing! Perfect and light for summer. Thanks for sharing!
https://jonandaudadventure.wordpress.com/
Audrey(Quote)
I make a recipe similar to this, now will be adding brown rice, great idea! I made your cold quinoa salad the other night after a trip to Aldi, it’s delicious!
Jan(Quote)
So glad you liked it!!! Thank you for letting me know! I have a feeling that one is going to be a summertime staple in our house.
Julie(Quote)
YUM! I am all about anything with black beans and corn! You just can’t beat that flavor. I can’t wait to make this recipe and test it out on the hubby 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Julie!
Bethany(Quote)
How do you prep your sweet potatoes? They look fantastic! I am having friends over for burgers on Saturday and would love to have the potatoes to serve up with them! Thanks in advance!
Christine(Quote)
How much fun! What a lovely party and I adore this recipe. ALDI really is the best!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt(Quote)
How do you like their wines? We really like sparkling wines (noticed you had a bottle in your picture) but if they are too sweet or sugary, hangover city! I haven’t yet made it to our Aldi, but many of my friends go there.
June(Quote)
I really do like them! Buuut I actually do like sugary wines so you may not like my recommendations (the Landshut Reisling is prob my fav). If you enjoy red wine, I definitely recommend trying their Outlander red blend. It’s delicious and not nearly as sweet!
Julie(Quote)
Looks really good. how do you print the recipe?
Julia Pace(Quote)
Great dish for the summer!
Bethany(Quote)
Thanks for sharing! I made this with dinner tonight and we loved it. I do almost all my shopping at Aldi so I’m happy for new recipes!
Maureen(Quote)
I’m SO glad you liked the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to make it and let me know! 🙂
Julie(Quote)
YAS–plant foods! haha. Love that you’re sharing something vegan 🙂 This is basically what I order at Chipotle–brown rice, beans, pico, corn salsa, and guac. I’ll have to try making this at home when I’m craving Chipotle!
Rachel @ Health My Lifestyle(Quote)
Even though I don’t like mustard, I love how it looks zig zagged on top of things in a photograph! (Old skule flashback: there was a pic of Jenny McCarthy on the cover of Rolling Stone yearsssss ago, and I loved the way the streak of mustard looked in the photo!) Makes your burger look so artsy!
I love the looks of this bbq and the looks of that brown rice salad! Was just talking to one of my brothers yesterday about incorporating more grains into his diet (he brought it up, and we were both trying to remember the names of all the alternatives to brown rice. So thanks for the list! It’s like you read my mind days ago! Btw, amaranth is also a good choice! <—Giada tip.)
So excited to hear about organic beef at Aldi's! I'll admit that even though I've been going there for years, I have never bought meat there, so I haven't even LOOKED at the cases to even be aware of the fact that they carry organic beef now! Look – you made a consumer aware (me!) Aldi did a good thing bringing you on board! And you did ME a good thing by letting me know. Thanks!
Great post, as always! (I used to watch both Survivor and the Amazing race, but fell off the wagon for both. Or is it on the wagon? You know what I mean. Anyhow, just got back into the Amazing Race again after years of a hiatus, so I recommend that to you guys too! It's got travel, competition, AND exercise – I think you might like it!)
Kim from MN(Quote)
I have a feeling we’d like Amazing Race a lot but it’s a show we’ve never even tried to watch! I’ll put it back on my radar for the next season! 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Kim!! <3
Julie(Quote)
This looks like a great go-to recipe for Memorial Day weekend – thanks!!
Allison(Quote)
Julie, this salad looks divine! Thanks for sharing it. And I just had to tell you that my husband and I love Survivor! We haven’t missed an episode since the very first season. It’s my guilty pleasure.
Cheers!
Christie
Christie Hawkes(Quote)
I want to try this salad this weekend! Looks delish. Where did you purchase your white plate, etc…?
Jessica(Quote)
The white plate with all of the food on it from the BBQ? I ordered it in a large set from RueLaLa years ago. I just checked for the brand and unfortunately the plate isn’t labeled on the bottom. 🙁
Julie(Quote)
I just went to Aldi for the first time last week- and I LOVED it! I have to be honest, I was skeptical, but I picked up organic peanut butter, almonds, brown rice, some produce and frozen produce and was so happy with the quality and the prices! I will defiantly be going back 🙂
Sarah(Quote)
I love Aldi! I always forget about them when going grocery shopping since I have a closer store to me. I am always excited though to wander around the store to find some goodies. Now if I could only remember to bring my bags in with me… 🙂
Ashley @ Whiskers and Weights(Quote)
Loving this recipe! I haven’t tried it yet, but being a fellow food blogger, and foodie at heart, I KNOW it will be good. I just shared it with a whole foods group that I moderate on Facebook and I know everyone will just love it. Your pictures are amazing so of course I had to pin them. 🙂
Angie(Quote)