WILD RICE SALAD

I initially had a version of this wild rice salad at Gulfstream, one of our favorite local restaurants in Newport Beach, CA. Every time I ordered my entree, this was always my preferred side.

As with many dishes we discover, we take the ideas and inspirations home to create a “Markham version”, tweaking, substituting, and adjusting during each trial run. I don’t know that this process ever officially ends, as we’re always thinking of new adjustments based on the season, our preference of flavor profiles, and/or our mood.

This salad is as equally fantastic at a Thanksgiving table as a summer picnic, as the vegetables and herbs can be changed according to the season. It makes a great side for any protein, especially chicken, pork, and shrimp, or mixed with cannellini or black beans to make it more like a hearty meal.

Please use this as a guide to create your own favorite version of this salad. We’ve offered some additional suggestions in the “notes” of the recipe.

Wild Rice Salad

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

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Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Curry Powder, optional
• Salt & Pepper A pinch of each
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil *you may need a little more depending on how the rice absorbs the dressing. Taste after assembling and adjust.
• 1/2 Garlic Clove, grated

Rice Salad

• 1/2 Cup Wild Rice
• 1/2 Cup Brown Rice
• 2 Celery Stalks Cut into 4 pieces lengthwise and then diced into small pieces.
• 1 Cup Fresh Corn Or thawed frozen corn
• 1 Handful of Parsley, Chopped About a cup +/-
• 1/2 Cup Dried Blueberries or other dried fruit of your choice. If not berries, then chopped.
• 3 Radish Sliced and then diced
• 2 Green Onions Finely sliced
• 2 Tbsp Finely Diced Red Onion
• 1/2 Cup Toasted Almonds, or your choice of nuts. Roughly chopped
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Sprouts for garnish, (optional) We used Radish and Amaranth Sprouts in the photo

Instructions

 

Rice

• Cook the Wild Rice and Brown Rice according to the package instructions. Wild Rice usually takes about an hour and Brown Rice usually takes anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

  TIPS:

  *I use 1/2 chicken or vegetable stock and 1/2 water when cooking my rice, and keep it covered at a medium-low simmer.

  *To use just one pot, I get the wild rice going and then add the brown rice at the appropriate time to finish with the Wild Rice. It is difficult to “overcook” Wild Rice, so don’t worry too much.

  *If the Brown Rice is cooked and there is still liquid left in the pan, just pour all the rice in a fine mesh strainer and allow to drain for about 5 minutes.

  While the rice is cooking prepare the other ingredients along with the vinaigrette.

Toasted Nuts

• Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400°. Place nuts on a sheet pan and spread out. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until they are fragrant and toasted to an amber color.

  Stovetop Method: Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and place in the nuts. (This will take 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the pan, type of nuts, and level of heat.) While toasting, stir often and shake the pan back a forth to keep them cooking evenly. When they are toasted to your liking, remove them from the pan and set aside.

Vinaigrette

• Whisk together the Lemon Juice, Champagne Vinegar, Curry Powder, Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil, until slightly “creamy looking”, then whisk in the grated garlic. Set aside.

Assembly

• In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients: Wild Rice, Brown Rice, Chopped Celery, Dried Blueberries, Chopped Radish, Sliced Green Onion, Diced Red Onion, and Chopped Almonds.
• Pour Vinaigrette over the salad mixture and stir to combine and evenly distribute. (You may or may not need it all. Taste as you go.)
• Taste to adjust seasonings.

  *Rice, and starches in general, tend to really “absorb” salt and flavorings, so you may need to add more to your liking. Also, I personally tend to like more acid-flavors, so I add a bit more Champagne vinegar or some lemon zest when I’m adjusting. It really does depend upon your palette and personal preferences.
• Place the salad into a serving bowl, top with garnish, and serve!

Notes

**As I mentioned, we hope you can use this recipe as a guide and that you feel free to be creative and feel free to substitute with what you like and with what you have on hand. If you don’t have both lemon juice and vinegar, just use one, or another type of vinegar.  This vinaigrette needs a bit higher “acid to oil” ratio, as the rice absorbs the flavors. That said, you could also use one of our other vinaigrette varieties and increase the acid to the same amount of oil. 

**Just think of texture and flavor opposites, as they usually compliment one another. Soft with crunchy, starchy with salty, bitter with sweet, fat/unctuous with acid, etc.  

**Here are a few more suggestions for other ingredients or ingredient swaps. Just dice or chop each to keep them “approximately” the size of the rice, so that everything is uniform:

Crunchy: Fennel, Carrot, (shredded or finely diced), Cucumber, (seeded, and more appropriate during summer.)

Other nuts, like Pecans, Pistachios, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, or Pine Nuts. (ALWAYS TOAST the nuts!!)

Sweet: dried cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, pomegranate seeds, orange rind, apricots, apples, figs, or any combination of these.  Also, you could add cubed roasted butternut squash, which would make this a great side for fall or holiday meal. 

Bitter: Chopped Endive, Radicchio, or another Chicory vegetable. Also, fresh herbs fall in this category, so depending on your mix of ingredients, you could add fresh Thyme, Oregano, Cilantro, or Parsley. In the summer, Basil would be a good add, along with the cucumber. 

**To make it a more hearty side, or more of a meal, mix in some of your favorite canned beans. (Rice and beans—a classic combo!) Also, try this as a side with our Cajun Shrimp , it’s a great pairing. 

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!