The best wild rice salad
This zesty wild rice and kale salad is the best! It is hearty, tasty and full of vitamins and fiber. A great meal for any season, it's filling enough to be a winter salad yet cooling enough for a summer night. This one has a zesty red pepper blender dressing that will have you craving this recipe on repeat. I love this vegan, gluten-free and delicious whole food recipe.
What is wild rice?
Wild rice is actually not rice at all. It is made from seeds of several species of grass! It is actually higher in protein and vitamins and lower in calories and carbs than regular rice. The hardy and chewy texture makes it ideal for dressed salads like this zesty wild rice and kale salad. It keeps its integrity even after a couple of days unlike other rices that would become mushy and unpalettable. For this salad I used a wild rice blend, but you may use any that you like.
Ingredients for Zesty Wild Rice and Kale Salad
This wild rice salad has ingredients that are readily available year round. However, it will really shine in the summer months when you are able to include garden fresh produce like tomatoes and cucumbers. In winter I recommend using the sugar bomb cherry tomatoes because they taste the best. A couple of good add ins to this salad are (vegan) feta cheese, green peas for extra protein or even shelled edamame.
- bell pepper
- garlic
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- italian seasoning
- agave or maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- wild rice blend
- kale
- persian cucumbers
- cherry tomatoes
- olives
- parsley
- basil
- cannellini
How to Make Zesty Wild Rice and Kale Salad
This recipe is super easy to make. Simply cook the rice and cool it down, roast the peppers, chop the salad, mix the dressing and voila.
- Blend all dressing ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Put all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with dressing.
- Eat within 4-5 days for best flavors.
Other delicious vegan salads
Zesty Wild Rice and Kale Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 bell pepper oven roasted for 20 minutes at 400 degrees
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- pinch salt and pepper
For Salad
- 8 oz wild rice blend cooked according to package instructions and cooled
- 4 cups kale massaged with 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 persian cucumbers chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 olives sliced
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup basil chopped
- 15 oz cannellini beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
cooking
- Cook wild rice according to box and cool
- Preheat oven to 400 and roast peppers for 20 minutes on a sheet pan
For Dressing
- Blend all dressing ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
For Salad
- Put all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with dressing.
- Eat within 4-5 days for best flavors.
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