Description
This wild rice salad is a fantastic side dish for Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays. Easy to make ahead of time and filled with delicious seasonal ingredients - wild rice, dried fruits and toasted pecans, dressed in a bright orange shallot vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Rice:
- 1 cup (1/2 pound) raw wild rice, rinsed
- 1 cup (1/2 pound) raw long grain white rice such as basmati, rinsed
- Kosher salt
For the Caramelized Onions:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (1/8-inch)
For the Cranberries:
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
For The Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- 1 orange, zested and juiced (1/4 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon zest)
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or substitute sherry vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Remaining salad ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted (see notes)
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
Rice:
- Cook the wild rice with 1/2 teaspoon salt, per package instructions. Remove from heat and set aside, uncovered, to cool. (See notes)
- Cook the white rice with 1/2 teaspoon salt, per package instructions. Spread white rice out in the bottom of a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet, to cool.
Caramelized Onions
- While the rice cooks, heat butter and oil in a large skillet over low heat. Simmer onions, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until they're soft and caramelized. Pour in a tablespoon or two of water and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Set aside to cool. (See notes)
Cranberries:
- Bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in dried cranberries in and let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the cranberries and set them aside. You won't need the remaining orange juice for this recipe.
Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl whisk 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, vinegar, shallots, mustard and honey. Slowly add olive oil while whisking, to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
Serving:
- In a serving bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients: white rice, wild rice, caramelized onions, cranberries, pecans, apricots and parsley.
- Pour dressing over and toss well, to combine. For best flavor, dress the salad an hour before serving and serve at room temperature. (see notes for make-ahead strategy)
Notes
- Basic Wild Rice cooking instructions: boil 2 1/4 cups water with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium pot. Add wild rice, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and starting to pop open.
- To toast pecans, add them to a dry pan over medium heat and toast, tossing frequently until they darken and become fragrant. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
- To Caramelize onions in the oven, put sliced onions in a small 12 x 12 inch baking pan with 1 cup of olive oil. Cook at 350ºF for 2 ½ hours, stirring every half hour. Drain through a small mesh strainer with a bowl underneath, and store the onion-flavored oil in a covered jar in the fridge and use it to cook eggs or to make a stir-fry or anything else that would benefit from the caramelized onion flavor.
- Make ahead strategy: You can prepare and assemble the whole salad a day ahead but wait to dress it until an hour before serving. Store it in the fridge in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap. The vinaigrette can also be prepared a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge overnight. For best flavor, leave the dressed salad at room temperature for an hour, before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American