How much time do you spend thinking about rice? I mean, where does it come from? Do you know how it grows and is harvested? I must admit that I hadn’t given it much thought until I read Amy Thielen’s Give a Girl a Knife and she talked about her husband harvesting wild rice near their home in Minnesota. Be sure to check out the video below that shows two guys in a canoe harvesting wild rice. You will never look at wild rice the same again.
Inspired by the harvesting process, I picked up a bag of wild rice at Trader Joe’s. Wild rice is low-carb and gluten-free, so this wild rice salad might be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving table. Which brings up a topic that I am endlessly curious about, Thanksgiving menus. Are you a traditionalist or do you like to mix it up with new recipes?
I have always been a new recipe kind of girl and didn’t realize how contentious that could be for people. Who knew that replacing the traditional green bean casserole with haricots vert with a lemon almond gremolata could have ruined Thanksgiving for some of my family members a few years back? Oops!
Wild rice has a chewy texture and nutty taste and makes a hearty base for this salad. Truth be told, when I created this recipe recently it was because I needed a dish to bring to a potluck gathering. My goal was to make a dish using only ingredients that I had on hand so I wouldn’t have to go to the grocery store. The good news is that most of these ingredients are pantry items that you might have in your kitchen.
I will cut to the chase, this wild rice salad got great reviews! The dried fruit adds a little bit of sweetness to the salad while the green onions and parsley add freshness. The almonds lend some crunch. Whether you make this for a potluck or for Thanksgiving, the good news is that you can make it a day ahead of time. I think it tastes better after sitting for a day. If you make it ahead of time, I would reserve a little bit of fresh parsley to garnish the salad just before serving.
How to Make Wild Rice Salad
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Passive Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
|
- 2 cups wild rice rinsed and cooked using package directions
- 1/2 cup Dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup almonds chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- salt
- pepper
Ingredients
|
|
- Place cooked rice in a medium bowl. Add cranberries, raisins, almonds, green onions, and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl or canning jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon, salt, and pepper and whisk or shake dressing. Pour over rice mixture. Top with chopped parsley.
- Can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.
If you are looking for other holiday recipes, check out:
- Cranberry Cider Bourbon Cocktail
- Smoked Salmon Beet Bites
- Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate
Leave a Reply