Wild rice salad is a banquet for the senses! Nutty wild rice, jeweled pomegranate seeds, crisp apples, recent herbs, and a lemony dressing mix to create a colourful, nutrient-rich, and flavor-packed aspect dish.
Picture Credit: Cristine SiracusaYou know the pronouncing, “We devour with our eyes first,” — smartly it is true! Colourful meals is lovely not unusual when consuming a Mediterranean Nutrition, however this wild rice salad takes consuming the rainbow to an entire new degree!
Wild rice, with its lengthy slim multi-colored grains, makes for a photo-worthy platter, particularly blended with red tart pomegranate seeds, child spinach, chopped apples, and recent herbs. Wild rice even has 6 ½ grams of protein according to cup, in step with the USDA. When blended with all of the different vegatables and fruits you have got grain salad that appears excellent, tastes excellent, and is excellent for you!
What I really like maximum about wild rice, even though, is the delicate nutty taste and the springy texture. Because the rice cools it soaks up all of the scrumptious lemony garlic taste from the dressing. Plus, it is served at room temperature, which makes it a very easy salad to carry to place of job events, vacation gatherings, or in your neighbor who simply had a child!
Grain salads, be it a wild rice salad like this one, barley, farro, or freekeh, supply frame and heft and upload a scrumptious layer of texture and taste to standard vegetable salads. If you are new to the speculation let this salad be your front into an entire new global of taste makers!
Desk of ContentsIngredients for Wild Rice SaladFor the DressingFor the Wild Rice SaladHow to Make Wild Rice Salad What to Serve with Wild Rice Salad Extra Vacation Salad RecipesSave When You Package deal Our Easiest-Promoting Olive Oil Assortment!Wild Rice Salad with Apples, Pomegranate, Cranberries, and Walnuts Recipe
Components for Wild Rice Salad
This wild rice salad recipe makes use of most commonly pantry elements, lots of which you most likely have readily available. Right here’s what you want:
For the Dressing
Lemon juice: Acidity balances the candy and savory flavors. Contemporary is very best!
Honey: Use a top of the range honey that’s now not overly wealthy, like our refined Greek Alfa honey.
Seasonings: Garlic powder provides a savory layer and sumac provides a tart burst of taste—you’ll be able to learn all about this very important Mediterranean spice in our information, “What’s Sumac?” and replenish at our store. Salt and pepper reinforce the flavour.
Further virgin olive oil: For the reason that rice soaks within the dressing because it cools, a scrumptious olive oil is very important. Any of the oils from our store would paintings smartly, however I particularly like a wealthy, complete taste oil that tastes very recent, like our Greek Early Harvest.
For the Wild Rice Salad
Wild rice: Has a definite nutty taste and a chewy texture, and wealthy, earthy style. If you wish to exchange right here, you’ll want one thing with a equivalent chunk to it when cooked. Usual rice will likely be too delicate, however it is advisable check out farro, freekeh (remember the flavour will likely be very smoky), pearled barley, or perhaps a small pasta like pearl couscous or orzo.
Spinach: Provides a pleasant freshness and ups the vitamin. You’ll be able to exchange with different delicate salad vegetables, like arugula or stemmed, thinly shredded, and massaged kale.
Apples: Use the most efficient crisp semi-sweet and tart apples at your retailer—I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
Shallot: Upload an oniony taste with out overpowering. You’ll be able to exchange with thinly sliced inexperienced onion or ½ of a small pink onion.
Pomegranate seeds: Upload a pleasant crunch and massive, juicy bursts of tart taste. You’ll be able to purchase the tubs of seeds on the retailer, however a recent pomegranate will likely be more economical and with a greater taste. Take a look at reduce a pomegranate to learn to get the ones cussed seeds out, and not purchase an overpriced bath once more!
Walnuts: Upload crunch and a pleasant buttery, toasty taste. Be at liberty to depart those off should you steer clear of nuts, or exchange with almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or pistachios—truly any nut you like will paintings right here.
Dried cranberries: Upload candy and tart taste and a pleasant chewy texture. You’ll be able to exchange with different dried end result, like chopped dried apricots, figs, or currants.
Contemporary herbs: Parsley and mint carry the wow-factor with their refreshing taste. You’ll be able to exchange with different delicate inexperienced herbs should you want, like basil or dill.
Tips on how to Make Wild Rice Salad
Wild rice salad is straightforward to make, you simply wish to give your self sufficient time to cook dinner the rice and make allowance the entirety to chill. The rice absorbs the dressing because it involves room temperature, making the flavors that a lot more colourful. Right here’s how you’re making it:
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk in combination ¼ cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon honey. Upload ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sumac, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk ceaselessly as you drizzle in ⅓ cup additional virgin olive oil. Put aside. 
Cook dinner the wild rice. Cook dinner 1 ½ cups of untamed rice in step with the package deal directions (mine took about 40 mins). 
Prep the vegatables and fruits. Whilst the rice chefs, chop 2 apples and a pair of shallots. Take away the seeds of one pomegranate (see our pointers). More or less chop sufficient walnuts to yield 1 cup, and sufficient parsley and mint leaves to yield ½ cup each and every.
Combine the salad. Switch the cooked rice to a big serving bowl. When it has cooled simply moderately (however now not utterly), upload the apples, shallots, walnuts, parsley, mint and 1 cup of the pomegranate seeds. Upload ¾ cup dried cranberries and a pair of cups spinach. 
Get dressed and relaxation. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Style and regulate seasoning in your liking, then put aside to chill utterly ahead of serving.
What to Serve with Wild Rice Salad
You’ll be able to make a large batch of this wild rice salad to meal prep lunches for the week. It’s filling sufficient by itself, however you’ll be able to at all times upload a boiled egg or hen to extend the protein should you’d like.
This salad helps to keep smartly so it’s additionally nice for purchasing forward of a cocktail party. And it covers the grain and salad in a single simple dish! The pomegranate seeds give it a festive feeling that’s best possible for vacation events. Function a facet to roast meats like baked cranberry hen or leg of lamb.
Extra Vacation Salad Recipes
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
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4 signature additional virgin olive oils designed for on a regular basis use.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and honey. Upload the garlic powder, sumac, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk ceaselessly as you drizzle within the additional virgin olive oil. Put aside.Cook dinner the wild rice. Cook dinner the rice in step with the package deal directions (mine took about 40 mins). Switch to a big serving bowl.Combine the salad. When the rice has cooled simply moderately (however now not utterly), upload the spinach, apples, shallots, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, dried cranberries, parsley, and mint.Get dressed and relaxation. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Style and regulate seasoning in your liking, then put aside to chill utterly ahead of serving, and serve at room temperature.
Quilt and refrigerate any leftovers for as much as 3 days. Carry to room temperature ahead of serving.
Get dressed the salad whilst the rice continues to be heat, as heat rice will do a greater task of soaking within the flavorful dressing.
I used water, however you’ll be able to use low-sodium hen or vegetable broth to cook dinner the rice should you’d like. Simply be sure you cook dinner it till it’s delicate however now not delicate. It will have to nonetheless have some resistance while you chunk it, however no crunchy or chalky heart.
Talk over with our store to browse high quality Mediterranean elements together with olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Energy: 472.2kcalCarbohydrates: 56.7gProtein: 10.2gFat: 25.8gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 10.8gMonounsaturated Fats: 10.7gSodium: 18.3mgPotassium: 476.8mgFiber: 6.7gSugar: 20.1gVitamin A: 1530.6IUVitamin C: 18.3mgCalcium: 61.7mgIron: 2.5mg
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