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“I made this salad for Thanksgiving and it has since become a regular rotation in my family’s dinners. Sooo good. Great textures and zing. Thanks for sharing!” ~Marisa
don’t wait for Thanksgiving to make a wild rice salad!
Wild rice is the “it” ingredient you need this season:
- healthy, gluten free and full of fiber, wild rice is a minimally processed seed with the bran + germ intact.
- a nutty flavor and chewy texture that’s fun to eat.
- about 160–170 calories, ~6–7g protein, and ~3g fiber per cooked cup.
- wild rice is beautiful, and makes a fantastic salad, side dish, lunch, or snack.
- wild rice salad with cranberries lasts a week in the fridge, so make lots!
RELATED: Wild Rice Recipes
If quinoa and farro are on rotation, add wild rice to the list. It’s a hearty whole-grain seed with a nutty bite ~ and it’s naturally gluten-free. I load this salad with toasted pecans, pistachios, minced red onion, and the tender inner celery stalks (with those tasty leaves), plus sweet dried cranberries. It’s a symphony of color and texture that’ll make your vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests very happy.
for the cider/mustard dressing
- olive oil
- cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- shallot
- honey
- salt and pepper
tips for making wild rice salad with cranberries
- Choose your texture: For darker, intact grains, cook ‘al dente’, when still chewy (many kernels just beginning to split). For softer, nuttier flavor, cook 5–10 min longer until most grains have split. See my post on How to Cook Wild Rice for more detail.
- Season as you cook: Salt the cooking water (½–1 tsp per cup rice). Under-seasoned grains make the whole salad taste flat.
- Dress warm, then chill: Toss the still-warm rice with dressing so it absorbs, then fold in your other ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour(overnight is fine).
- Creamy add-ins (optional): Crumbled feta or goat cheese play nicely with wild rice’s nuttiness. Add right before serving so it stays distinct.
- Keep the crunch: Toast nuts (2 minutes on high in the microwave) it adds tons of flavor and better crunch.
- Make-ahead & lunches: Wild-rice salads hold 5 days refrigerated. Give it a fresh toss each day.
- Mixing rices? You can mix wild rice with white or brown rice. Cook each type to its ideal doneness, drain well, and combine.
RELATED: Beet and Wild Rice Salad with Spiced Pecans
I’m not gonna lie, this is a chewy salad. There’s texture upon texture in here; you know you’re eating real food and it’s wonderful. Some grain based salads can be mushy or heavy; this one is neither. I think you’ll love it for the holidays, but will find yourself making it over and over again.
more healthy grain salads to try
Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, rough chopped,, roasted and salted is fine
- 1/4 small red onion, finely minced
- several small inner stalks of celery, with leaves, minced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a quart of water and a teaspoon of salt to boil in a saucepan and add the rice. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or just until the rice is tender but not mushy. Some of the grains will be splitting. Note: Wild rice will always have a little bite to it, so don't try to cook it until completely soft.
- While the rice is cooking, put the pecans in a large skillet and toast, over medium heat, until you smell them and they start to turn slightly brown. Take them off the heat and let them cool before giving them a rough chop. You can also do this in the microwave: spread out single layer, just 2 minutes on high.
- Whisk together the dressing in a small jar. If you put the top on and shake it vigorously, it should emulsify. Taste it to adjust the amount of vinegar or seasonings.
- Drain the rice and put in a bowl.
- Toss the warm rice with some of the dressing, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- When ready to serve, add more dressing if needed, and toss well.
Notes
Nutrition
more fall salads
Cranberry Vinaigrette
Cranberry Vinaigrette is a gorgeously vibrant healthy salad dressing and all around flavor booster for winter meals.
Fall Apple Slaw
How to make Fall Apple Slaw: an easy seasonal side dish that goes with everything!
Kale and Butternut Salad with Maple Spiced Pecans
Kale and Butternut Salad with Maple Spiced Pecans ~ a simple vegan salad full of superfood nutrients and fall flavors. This is the way you’re going to balance out all those heavy meals on your holiday menus…no Turkey Pants at your house this year 😉
Kale and Fall Fruit Salad with Cider Poppy Seed Dressing
Kale and Fall Fruit Salad with Cider Poppy Seed Dressing ~ this is the queen of fall salads, with pear, cranberries, figs, pomegranate, and grapes, all tossed in a creamy cider vinaigrette.
Caesar Kale Slaw
Satisfying Caesar kale slaw recipe with garlicky dressing, shredded Parmesan, and crunchy croutons is the perfect year round side dish!
Pear Salad with Creamy Walnut Vinaigrette
My Pear Salad with Creamy Walnut Vinaigrette is a delightful fall salad made with a whole sliced pear. It’s pretty enough for your Thanksgiving table.
I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time. We had it for lunch today and it was delicious. The only change to recipe that I made was adding more pecans.
Thanks so much for the review Janelle. I’ll be making it for our Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks.
This is a flavorful, substantial dish. It looks beautiful and offers a flavor sensation!!
I agree Heidi, so healthy too!
My husband requests this often. We love it!
Hi, Sue, I have pinned this recipt ever since you posted it. I had never had a chance to really go for it until this summer, when I finally retired, I made it once, twice ….. my son loves it very much, he gives a high five to it. I made it to give to a very close friend, she and her daughter are now hugh fans of this salad. We are crazy about it. I just want to let you know that after all these years, your photos of this jar of wild rice salad are the ones are so sharp and beautiful who attracted my eyes, not only my appetite, that I pinned it, kept it, now it is our top favorite. Thank you, thank you.
Great salad. Lots of flavor and crunch and I’m always asked for the recipe. I attend an annual luncheon and am always asked to bring this. True wild rice can be hard to find in my supermarket so in desperation I substituted Black Japonica Rice. It was a huge hit and the black rice shows off all the beautiful colors in this salad. Whatever grain you use, keep this salad in your repertoire – it’s really good.
Thank you Nell, this is the season when I start to crave this salad.