Description
A delicious Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad that is perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups wild rice
- 5 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ to ¾-inch cubes)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 large apple (cut into ½-inch chunks)
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 orange
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (or fine sea salt)
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Place water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cool running water. Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Boil the rice, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it. Drain rice well in a colander, return to the pot, cover with the lid and let stand (off the heat) for 10 minutes. Then fluff rice and let it cool slightly.
- Roast the squash: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425° F. Place cubed butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender.
- Toast walnuts: Place walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, stirring often. Watch them closely as they can go from toasted to burnt quickly. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
- Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients: olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), Dijon, salt and pepper.
- Assemble salad: Place cooked wild rice in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and stir to distribute. Add the celery, apple, red onion and dried cranberries. Stir gently until combined. Add the toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash and parsley last and toss gently to combine. Salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- This salad is great for meal prep and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Feel free to add other vegetables or nuts according to your preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting, Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg