christmas wild rice salad
Pretty, festive, and filling as fuck.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS WEEK! Can you believe it? I wrapped up the last bits of my gift shopping this morning (I hope) and am currently scrambling to get chores and shit done before waiting a probably insanely long time at the DMV to renew my license. Can’t wait.
A fresh salad sounded swell among the inevitably indulgent snacks and treats surrounding the holiday, so let’s make a Christmas Wild Rice Salad for a nice hefty meal prep. Full of seasonally-friendly apples and pomegranate, flavored with a cranberry maple dressing, and speckled with chewy wild rice to bulk up the bowl of greenery. Done in under 30 minutes and ideal if you’re on salad duty for Christmas dinner.
And, ideal if you need a quick meal before driving around to see Christmas lights!
We Wish You a Merry Salad
And a happy dressing.
Candied nuts are a staple in my fall and winter salads, and for this one I whipped up some of my classic bourbon walnuts since I had a bag haunting my countertop. I still have a bag haunting my countertop, but at least there’s less in it now.
Stir up some brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, cinnamon, chili powder, and instant coffee. Pour over a bunch of nuts and toss until nicely coated. Spread in one layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Keep your eyes and nose peeled on the nuts, or else they will scorch, and your nuts will be deemed infertile.
Erm, inevitable. Sorry, Freudian Slip.
Next, mix up the vinaigrette. I love the tartness of the cranberry beside the fig jam and sweet maple syrup; you don’t need much to make an impact. Whisk that trio with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic, along with a touch of salt and pepper. Leftover dressing keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, though the oil will solidify so you will need to gently microwave it in 10 second increments.
Now, just assemble your salad! I used lacinato kale and arugula as my base. As for the wild rice, you can buy microwavable pouches for a quick fix, or cook up a batch of wild rice blend on the stove or in your rice cooker. The latter will up the prep time on this recipe, just so you’re aware.
Toss the greens and rice with a bit of the salad dressing to moisten up the kale. Move to a big, pretty serving bowl and arrange the apple slices, cheddar, pomegranate arils, and nuts overtop. Drizzle with more dressing and enjoy!
Leftover salad holds up pretty niftily in the fridge, so I’d consider this a meal prep-friendly recipe. Add your favorite protein (chicken or, in my case, faux chicken) and maybe some roasted veggies for a well-rounded Bento box. That will assuredly be my strategy tonight, folks.
Cheers to the holiday week! Keep it simple, but not necessarily stupid.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Freshen up your gut:
Honeycrisp Apple Brie and Candied Walnut Salad
Christmas Brussels Sprout Salad with Maple Orange Vinaigrette
Shredded Brussels Sprout Wild Rice Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette
Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Feta and Kale Salad
Honeycrisp Apple and Blue Cheese Autumn Salad
christmas wild rice salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso
- 4 cups kale, roughly torn
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup cooked wild rice blend
- 1 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, sliced
cranberry maple vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp cranberry juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fig preserves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon (if using), cinnamon, chili powder, and espresso. Toss with the walnuts on the baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Roast 8-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. WATCH CLOSELY OR YOUR NUTS WILL BURN.
- In a jar or bowl, shake or whisk the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cranberry juice, maple syrup, fig preserves, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Add the kale, arugula, and wild rice to a large bowl. Spoon in some of the dressing and massage the greens and grains until the kale is softened and darkened.
- Arrange the apple slices, pomegranate, candied nuts, and cheese over the salad. Drizzle with more vinaigrette and serve with the rest on the side.
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