Light Forest-Inspired Wild Rice Salad (Printable)

Nutty wild rice, tart cranberries, and toasted nuts combine with fresh greens for a light, flavorful salad bowl.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Greens & Vegetables

04 - 4 cups mixed baby greens (spinach, arugula, baby kale)
05 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved

→ Fruits & Nuts

08 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries
09 - 1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
10 - 1 small apple, diced

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Rinse wild rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 to 45 minutes until tender and some grains burst. Drain excess water and let cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large bowl, mix the baby greens, cucumber, red onion, sugar snap peas, dried cranberries, toasted nuts, and diced apple.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Add cooled wild rice to the salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to combine.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Nutty wild rice blends with tart cranberries for a unique flavor
  • Easy to prepare and perfect for a light meal or side dish
02 -
  • Contains tree nuts (walnuts or pecans)
  • Mustard in dressing may be allergenic for some
03 -
  • Cook wild rice just until tender to avoid mushiness
  • Toss salad gently to keep ingredients fresh and crisp
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