Wild Rice Salad

I love love wild rice, but even if I were on the fence about it, this salad would make me a believer. It. is. so. good. The nutty flavor of the wild rice and edamame, the sweet dried cranberries and carrots, the green onions, the tangy/sweet sesame dressing - it is all so good together. The combination of textures is great too, from the slightly chewy texture of the wild rice to the crunch of the carrots and sesame seeds. If you've never cooked wild rice before, this would be a great way to try it out since this salad does a wonderful job highlighting its best characteristics. And unlike many other wild rice recipes, this one is healthy to boot. I am always looking for great salads that I can bring to summer potlucks, and I'm already calling this one is the winner of the summer. Until the next potluck, I'm making this for myself and hogging all of it, enjoying it as my lunch or as a side at dinner and loving every bite.

Wild Rice and Edamame Salad

By Heat Oven To 350 Published 05/12/2014

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 cups cooked wild rice
• 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups shelled cooked edamame (thawed if frozen)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add almonds. Cook, stirring frequently, until almonds are lightly browned, about 6-7 minutes. Add almonds to a bowl to cool and return skillet to the stove. Add sesame seeds and cook and stir until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add toasted sesame seeds to bowl with the almonds.
2. Add cooked rice, edamame, carrots and cranberries to the bowl with the almonds and sesame seeds. Toss to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar, honey and a couple generous pinches kosher salt and black pepper. Add more salt to taste, then pour over wild rice mixture and toss to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and vinegar if necessary.
4. Cover bowl and chill salad at least one hour before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 hour (chilling time)

Recipe Source: Chow.com

Posted in: Side Dish, Vegetarian