This Wild Rice Salad is so flavorful it can be served as a main course or a side dish. With just 10 ingredients, it’s a bite full of fresh fennel, pistachios, golden raisins, pecorino, and basil with a zingy vinaigrette that’s delicious all year round. It’s a salad that’s here to impress guests at a party or be a great meal prep lunch for the week.
There’s something about a hearty salad that has a whole grain or rice mixed in. It suddenly becomes a delicious meal that gets better even after a day marinating in the fridge. Why? That delicious dressing is soaked up by the rice for a punch of bright flavors in every bite.
With this salad we’re using wild rice. This may be a new ingredient for some or familiar as a side dish for others. But we can attest that it makes the ideal base to a salad recipe that’s full of fresh veggies and herbs.
Now, wild rice has a nutty, earthy flavor compared to white rice. The texture is a bit chewier as well, making it ideal for crunchy veggie-filled salads. It’s a little pricer in the grocery store, but as is true for all ingredients, you get what you pay for.
We chose to add fresh fennel, diced pecorino, pistachios, and golden raisins (a very midwest addition) to the salad for a combination of flavors that’s great all year long. The best part of a salad with wild rice is you can customize it to your liking based on the vegetables of the season and it’s guaranteed to be delicious.
And if you love a great hearty salad recipe, you’re in luck. We have some favorites we make on regular rotation to have on hand. Try our French Lentil Salad, Watermelon Orzo Salad, and Fennel Salad with Lemon.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- 10 Ingredient Salad. With just a handful of ingredients, this versatile salad is easy to shop for and forgiving if substitutions are made with what you have on hand.
- Perfect for Meal Prepping. The best thing about a rice or grain salad it that it’s even better the second or third day after marinating in the fridge. The flavors become even better.
- Customize to your liking. Whatever the season, add fresh veggies, whether it’s roasted squash, greens, raw vegetables, the list goes on and on.
- Salad skeptics will love this salad. Not everyone views a salad as a meal, I get it. But this one is hearty enough to be a filling lunch. Add some pan-seared chicken or pan-seared salmon over top and boom, an elevated healthy dinner is served.
What is Wild Rice?
It’s a type of rice that’s black in color and grown in North America’s Great Lakes regions. It’s chewier and heartier in texture, making it nice for stuffings and soups compared to its white and brown rice cousins.
Wild rice is earthy and nutty in flavor and can be served hot or cold. Seasoned simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, it’s a great side dish with just about any kind of protein.
This kind of rice is healthy and has a higher amount of protein than other kinds of rice along with fewer calories. Plus, it’s rich in fiber, potassium, and zinc. We’ve added it to turkey soup and stuffing, you should try it too!
Ingredients
- Wild rice: It’s earthy and nutty in flavor plus chewy in texture. A great alternative to brown or white rice.
- Chicken broth: The cooking liquid for the rice, it just adds an extra depth of flavor. You can also use water or veggie stock.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: The base to the salad dressing, be sure to choose a quality brand (I always opt for single origin).
- Red wine vinegar: Adds a zing to the dressing. You can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Whole grain mustard: Also in the dressing, we love whole grain for it’s texture and mild bitterness. It’s less “spicy” than Dijon. Find it near the other mustards in the grocery store.
- Fennel: It has the crunch of celery and the flavor of licorice. We find it’s a dynamic duo when paired with wild rice.
- Golden raisins: Adds a hint of sweetness throughout the salad. You can also use dried cranberries.
- Pistachios: Use raw, shelled pistachios and toast them yourself. Kept whole (instead of chopped) they add a nice hit of nuttiness every couple of bites. So good!
- Pecorino Romano: Buy a block in this case, not grated. We’ll be dicing this cheese so you get bits of salty, cheesy goodness throughout the salad. You can also use Parmesan, but Pecorino is best.
- Scallions: A mild hit of onion flavor to bring everything together.
- Basil: Any fresh herb will do, but we love the bright, almost citrusy flavor the basil brings.
How to Make Wild Rice Salad
- Rinse wild rice with cold water. Add to a small pot with chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low (make sure it’s not boiling vigorously), cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 50–65 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steam 10 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and mustard, Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove fronds from fennel and set aside. Finely dice fennel bulb (should measure about 2 cups). Add to the vinaigrette. Add the raisins, pistachios, pecorino, and scallions. Finely mince fennel fronds and add 2 tablespoons to the salad.
- Add the cooled wild rice and basil to the salad. Toss everything to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Expert Tips
- Don’t throw out the fennel fronds. We will chop these and use them almost like an herb in the salad. They are full of garden-fresh flavor.
- Check the rice while cooking. Rice can be intimidating to cook perfectly. But I find wild rice is easier than white rice because of it’s chewy texture (it takes a lot to become mushy). Be sure to stir periodically and keep an eye on the amount of water so it doesn’t become gummy.
- Fully cool the rice before combining all ingredients. This prevents hot rice from wilting the herbs and veggies in the salad. We want them to stay crisp and fresh, rather than soft and soggy.
Storage
Store this wild rice salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. We don’t recommend freezing the salad as it will compromise the crunchy texture.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the wild rice for a different whole grain. Brown rice, farro, barley and lentils are all great options.
- Add roasted squash or sweet potato. In the fall season, toss roasted delicata squash into the salad.
- Try adding fresh fruit. Diced apple, pomegranate seeds, or pear would compliment the flavors well.
- Use your favorite nut. Walnuts or pecans are two other great options to use instead of pistachios.
FAQs
Yes, it’s great for a salad when room temperature or chilled.
Wild rice is healthy as a whole grain. It’s higher in protein than other grains and is rich in vitamin B and fiber.
Yes, it has fewer carbohydrates than pasta which is great for anyone watching their carb intake.
Yes, prior to cooking. This removes any dust or debris from storage. No soaking is necessary prior to cooking.
More Rice Dishes to Try
Wild Rice Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 bulb fennel
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup raw, shelled pistachios, toasted
- 3 ounces finely diced Pecorino Romano cheese (about ¾ cup)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup basil, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup wild rice with cold water. Add to a saucepan with 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 50–65 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steam, covered, 10 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 tablespoon mustard, Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove fronds from fennel and set aside. Finely dice 1 fennel bulb (should measure about 2 cups) and add to bowl with vinaigrette. Add 1 cup raisins, 1 cup pistachios, 3 ounces Pecorino, and 4 sliced scallions. Finely mince fennel fronds and add 2 tablespoons fennel fronds to salad.
- Add cooled wild rice and ⅓ cup chopped basil to salad. Toss to combine; season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Equipment
Notes
- Don’t throw out the fennel fronds. We will chop these and use them almost like an herb in the salad. They are full of garden-fresh flavor.
- Check the rice while cooking. Rice can be tough to make. We find wild rice is easier than white rice because of it’s chewy texture. Be sure to stir periodically and keep an eye on the amount of water so it doesn’t become gummy.
- Fully cool the rice before combining all ingredients. This prevents hot rice from wilting the herbs and veggies in the salad. We want them to stay crisp and fresh, rather than soggy.
