If you’ve ever been to the north shore of Lake Superior, you know the wonders of wild rice. Its earthy flavor and tender chewiness is unparalleled by any other grain. Any time I’m in the area, I happily pick up a few pounds of this delicacy to last us through the year. Our family uses a fair amount of wild rice. We use it in burgers, nut loaves, soup, and casseroles. Its chewy texture also lends itself well to shepard’s pie. And now we’re adding this to our list: Wild Rice Salad.
Wild rice has a savory profile. It mixes well with mushrooms and thyme, sautéed onion and veggies. It may, perhaps, be one of my top winter comfort foods.
But in the summer, wild rice dishes are fewer in between. The heartiness is too heavy in the heat and we just use less of it — until now.
This wild rice salad has an amazing mix of flavors and textures. It truly hits all the flavor profiles. There’s crunch from carrots and walnuts; savory from the rice and onions; salty from the feta; sweet from the raisins. And while it’s filling, it’s not heavy enough to weigh you down for the rest of the day.
It’s also so easy to make!
The all occasion food!
This salad is perfect for a variety of occasions!
- A week of packed lunches
- A hearty, cool dish for a hot weekend of camping
- A dish to pass at potlucks
If you bring it to a potluck, it’s almost guaranteed not to have a duplicate. You can also make it a day or two ahead of time. This will allow the flavors to marinate and the raisins to rehydrate a bit. People will certainly ask you for the recipe, so be sure to pin it for later!
Fun Facts About Wild Rice
- Wild rice is a complete protein
- It’s high in antioxidants
- Wild rice is not actually rice, but a grass
- Studies have shown that wild rice can improve heart health
- Wild rice is high in fiber and gluten free
How to cook wild rice
Unlike other rices, wild rice does not quickly overcook and become mushy. This gives lenience to water/rice ratios. Whereas other rices may have a 2:3 or 1:2 ratio, wild rice’s is closer to 1:3.
Wild rice’s cook time is also on the longer end — up to an hour. For this recipe, we use ½ c. long grain wild rice and about 1 ½ c. water. After approximately 50 minutes, remove the lid and stir. If it’s watery, leave the lid off as it continues to cook until all the water is evaporated. If it’s not, leave the lid on and cook another 5-10 minutes.
After it cools, start mixing up the ingredients! If you’re looking for a quick way to chop things, look into one of these food processors. My full size, electric food processor is great for making laundry soap and big batches of pesto and hummus, but this little manual one is my go-to for SO MANY other things. Bonus: it’s quiet so you can use it during nap time or after the kids go to bed.
Gluten free!
The recipe below is written to be gluten free using tahini and lemon juice + dried herbs. However, if you prefer a simpler route, you can use ¼ c. olive oil + ¼ c. goddess dressing.
If you’re looking for other ways to use tahini besides hummus, try my vegan tuna salad or coconut galacto granola!
Make it vegan!
If you’d like to make this vegan, simply use vegan feta. All the other ingredients are compatible with a vegan diet.
Chances are, you already have the fixings floating around your kitchen. So start the water for the rice, and let’s get cooking!
Wild Rice Summer Salad
Makes 12 servings
- ½ c. wild rice (uncooked)
- 1 c. minced carrots
- 1 c. Finely chopped walnuts
- ¾ c. Raisins
- ⅓-½ c. Minced onion (depending on flavor preferences)
- 6 oz. Crumbled feta
Dressing
- ¼ c. tahini
- ½ c. olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
Any or all of the following:
- ¼ t. Dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, tarragon
- ½ t. Dried basil, parsley
- Cook the wild rice for 50-60 minutes in 1 ½ c. water. Let excess water simmer off. Cool.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until smooth and let sit.
- Using a food processor, pulse carrots, walnuts, and onions.
- When the wild rice is cool, combine in a large bowl with all the other ingredients. When thoroughly combined, stir in dressing.
- Chill for 6 hours or overnight.
I’m always looking for new ideas on how to use wild rice, so I’d love to hear about your favorite dish in the comments below!
— Funky Crunchy Mama
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about wild rice, its history, and ecology, check out this podcast episode by 99% Invisible, “The Rights of Rice and Future of Nature.” It’s a very interesting listen.
