Description
A vibrant salad combining chewy wild rice with fresh herbs, red onion, dried cranberries, toasted nuts (or seeds) and a bright lemon‑olive oil dressing. Elegant yet easy—perfect as a make‑ahead side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 185 g) dry wild rice
- 4 tablespoons extra‑virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme (or substitute a different fresh herb like basil)
- ½ cup chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans or almonds
- Optional: 1 cup cooked chickpeas (for added protein)
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice under cold water until the rinse water runs clear.
- In a medium saucepan, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil, add the wild rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender yet still slightly chewy (about 40‑50 minutes). Drain and let it steam for 5 minutes, then cool to room temperature.
- While the rice cooks, toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant (about 3‑4 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled wild rice, chopped parsley, mint, thyme, red onion, dried cranberries, toasted nuts (and chickpeas if using).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the rice‑herb mixture and toss gently but thoroughly so everything is coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed—add a little extra salt or more lemon juice if desired.
- If preparing ahead, cover the salad and refrigerate. Before serving, bring it to near room temperature or add a tiny extra splash of olive oil or lemon juice to refresh the flavours.
Notes
- Swap the nuts: Use chopped almonds, walnuts or pistachios instead of pecans.
- Change the dried fruit: Try tart cherries, golden raisins or dried apricots for a different sweet‑tang note.
- Add protein: Incorporate 1 cup cooked chickpeas (as noted) or chopped cooked chicken breast if you prefer meat.
- Herb variation: Mix it up by using basil, cilantro or chives in place of or alongside parsley/mint.
- Dressing tweak: Replace lemon with orange juice and zest for a sweeter citrus note; or add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for extra tang.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40‑50 minutes
- Category: Side Dish / Salad
- Method: Boil & Toss
- Cuisine: American / Contemporary
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ≈1 cup
- Calories: ≈220
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
