Wild rice spinach salad with cranberries and mandarin oranges recipe
Get ready for a winter salad that’s bursting with color and flavor! This Wild Rice Spinach Salad with cranberries and mandarin oranges is a bright,festive side that’s perfect for holiday tables—or any cozy night in.
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients
For Wild Rice :
- ½ cup wild rice
- Water
- ½ cup fresh cranberries or ¼ cup dried cherries
- 1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
- ¼ cup thinly-sliced almonds
- 3 ounces spinach about 3 packed cups
- ¼ cup mandarin oranges or more to taste. If using canned, drain.
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil optional
- ¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, about 2 ounces
Orange champagne dressing
- 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons orange zest grated
- orange juice freshly squeezed from ½ of a orange
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot – or more if you like a zippy salad dressing
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Prep the Wild Rice and Cranberries
- Turn the rice into a colander, and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. Turn the rice into a pot and cover with 4-inches of cold water. Set the pot over a high flame, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the rice and simmer until the kernels open slightly, about 20-22 minutes. Drain off all but ¼ inch of water. Toss in the cranberries, return to the stove, cover and set over a low flame. Cook until the cranberries have popped open or dried cherries plump up, about 5 minutes and season with the maple syrup, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Toast Almonds
- In a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, add the almonds and cook until they’re turning lightly golden and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
Finishing touches
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until blended.
- To assemble the salad, transfer the cooled rice-cranberry mixture to a large bowl. Add the spinach, oranges, almonds, and feta. Pour in enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients.
- Set the salad aside for 10 minutes before serving, to give the rice time to soak up some of the dressing. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for two to three days. You might need to wake up leftovers with an extra drizzle of dressing or olive oil and squeeze of orange (the rice absorbs the dressing over time).
Video
Notes
Hand-harvested wild rice has this beautiful brown, variegated look and cooks in just 15 to 20 minutes, so it’s perfect for a quick salad toss. If all you have is cultivated wild rice, that works too—just be ready to let it simmer for about twice as long.