Description
A vibrant and wholesome Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries, featuring nutty wild rice combined with toasted pecans, pistachios, dried cranberries, and fresh vegetables, all tossed in a zesty apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard dressing. This salad offers a delightful mix of textures and flavors, making it a perfect healthy side dish or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Grains and Nuts
- 1 cup wild rice (rinsed)
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, rough chopped (roasted and salted is fine)
Vegetables and Fruits
- 1/4 small red onion (finely minced)
- Several small inner stalks of celery with leaves (minced)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 small shallot (finely minced)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook Wild Rice: Bring a quart of water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rinsed wild rice. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is tender but still slightly firm with some grains splitting. Avoid overcooking as wild rice should retain a slight bite.
- Toast Pecans: While the rice cooks, toast pecans in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before roughly chopping. Alternatively, toast in the microwave on high for 2 minutes in a single layer.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small jar, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Taste and adjust vinegar or seasonings to preference.
- Drain Rice: Once cooked, drain the wild rice and transfer to a large bowl while warm.
- Toss Salad: Add some of the dressing to the warm rice and toss to combine. Then stir in the toasted pecans, chopped pistachios, minced red onion, celery, dried cranberries, and minced shallot.
- Serve: When ready to serve, add more dressing if desired and toss the salad well to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
Notes
- Wild rice is naturally chewy and should not be overcooked to mushiness.
- Use roasted and salted pistachios for extra flavor or raw pistachios if preferred.
- Adjust the sweetness and acidity of the dressing by modifying honey and vinegar amount to taste.
- Salad can be served warm or chilled depending on preference.
- To toast nuts faster, the microwave method is a convenient alternative to stovetop toasting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: wild rice salad, cranberry salad, nutty salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, apple cider dressing, pecans, pistachios
