Wild Rice Salad
Wild Rice Salad is full of vibrant colors and amazing textures! This hearty salad combines nutty rice and a slightly sweet dressing to make a light vegetarian meal or side dish.
You’ll want to add this recipe to your meal plan! It’s the perfect salad to go along with grilled chicken thighs or even roasted turkey.
Wild Rice Salad is the perfect side dish for a picnic or your next potluck. It has the perfect combo of wild rice and a delicious vinaigrette, creating an incredible flavor profile.
This recipe yields a generous amount and is ideal for meal prepping on busy nights or as a perfect potluck dish for your next barbecue or holiday gathering.
Ingredients
- cooked wild rice (You could also use leftover brown rice instead of a wild rice blend to make this dish.)
- celery
- red apple (fresh pears are also delicious in this salad)
- frozen petite peas
- red onion
- green onions
- pecans (for the best flavor, toast the nuts over medium heat in a dry frying pan fragrant.)
For the dressing:
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- honey (for a vegan salad, substitute maple syrup for the honey.)
Recipe Variations
Other ingredients that are delicious in this wild rice salad recipe are pomegranate arils (seeds), or chopped baby spinach. Goat cheese or feta cheese would also be delicious. Leftover roasted sweet potatoes are a great addition to this recipe also.
Add a little bit of orange zest or lemon zest to the salad dressing for a bright fresh flavor.
You could also use leftover butternut squash in this cold wild rice salad.
Out of something you need? Check out our free ingredient substitutions printable!
Ang’s Recipe Tips
- An easy way to cool down cooked rice fast is to spread it out on a baking sheet.
- Add a little bit of lemon juice to the apples to keep them from oxidizing and turning brown.
Storage
To Store: Leftover wild rice should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. (These are my favorite airtight containers.) It will keep for 3-4 days.
Make Ahead: The rice itself can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Allow it to cool completely before refrigerating. To make the whole salad the day before, toss the apples with a little bit of lemon juice to help them from turning brown. Reserve the pecans until you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This salad makes a hearty and delicious weekday lunch (it’s great with leftover citrus-glazed salmon). I like to serve it with a little bit of extra dressing on the side. (This tasty salad would also be great with our orange vinaigrette dressing.) It’s also a wonderful side dish for your holiday table along with a holiday ham, roasted turkey, petite sirloin roast, or roasted chicken.
Similar Recipes
This delicious salad is ideal for any holiday meal and is definitely one of my favorite summer side dish recipes. I love that you can make it a day ahead of time. Next time, try one of these yummy salad recipes:
- spinach apple cranberry salad
- fruit salad with orange juice dressing
- ham and pasta salad
- BLT pasta salad
Related: Recipes to Make in Your Rice Cooker
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Wild Rice Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 red apple seeded and diced
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
- ½ small red onion diced
- ¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.3 cups cooked wild rice, ½ cup diced celery, 1 red apple, ½ cup frozen peas, ½ small red onion, ¼ cup green onions, ½ cup chopped pecans
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl or jar.2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, Salt and black pepper, ¼ cup olive oil
- Shake or whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until well-coated.
- Cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature.
