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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
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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.
This looks so fantastic! Love the combinations you have going here. I grew up in northern Minnesota, and wild rice is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with!
I would love to hear what kind of recipes you used it in, Nicole…
Sue, I have just recently begun following you and look forward to your posts.
Your wild rice salad photos are stunning and the recipe not only looks yummy
and easy but is so incredibly well explained.
Thank you for all the thought and hard work that you put into your posts. I am a fan. 🙂
Thanks Dana — you made my night 🙂
I love all the colors and textures in your salad, this sounds so good!
Sue, there’s not a single ingredient in there that I’d change! Which is kind of rare. Added bonus: it looks so pretty!
I don’t eat wild rice nearly often enough, because I really do love it. This salad is perfect. Love the cranberries and nuts with it!
Beautiful salad Sue! It’s going on our Thanksgiving menu 🙂
I started cooking wild rice about 6 months ago and I was thinking about why it took me so long. I’m absolutely thinking about it with Thanksgiving around the corner. Your wild rice salad looks beautiful and sounds delicious.
I noticed that it’s not even that much more expensive anymore, either…they are growing it all over the country and the supply is high.
Yeah, our thoughts always turn to wild rice at this time of the year, too. Don’t use it too often in salads, and I should — it just works. Particularly in this salad — wonderful mix of flavors and textures. Thanks.
I would call this a perfect salad. Can’t wait to try it.
what a beautiful looking salad. I barely ever cook with wild rice so this has inspired me to pick some up. Such a colourful bowl!
Thanks Dom, pistachios and cranberries always make things colorful!