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Wild rice salad made with cubes of fennel, cheese, raisins, pistachios and herbs in a yellow ceramic bowl with a silver spoon set in it.

Wild Rice Salad with Raisins and Pistachios

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 7 cups
Category Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

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.

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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

saucepan
mixing bowl

Notes

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 can compromise the texture.
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 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 511mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11g
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