Autumn Wild Rice, Apple and Kale Salad

This is definitely a case of the total being greater than the sum of the parts.  First of all, all the Autumn vibes.

These are the earthy flavours and ingredients that seem to shine as the days get cooler, the leaves take on a burnished hue, and we turn to cozy hearty meals.

Wild Rice

First off, the texture is lovely, firm, slightly chewy, and the flavour is perfectly nutty. But just in case you didn’t realize, wild rice isn’t rice at all.  It is actually an aquatic grass, not a grain, but is referred to as rice because it looks and cooks like all other types of rice. Wild rice is the easiest rices to digest and contains no arsenic like other types of rice do. It’s also the only rice Native to North America 

Wild rice is also very alkaline-forming, unlike most grains which are acid-forming. This gives it a special anti-inflammatory feature, which contributes to overall health. Whole grains are certainly a wonderful part of a well-balanced diet, but including a rich source of alkaline foods (such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and options like raw almonds and wild rice) never hurts to help balance things out. A healthy acid/alkaline balance is important to not only treat and prevent inflammation, but a wide variety of health issues associated with inflammation.   

Wild rice has 50 % more fibre and protein than traditional rice, making it right up there with quinoa. For more information on the benefits of true wild rice, check out this link as well as the one here.

Having said this, you will often see a blend of rices, brown, red, and white combined with a small amount of wild rice, packaged as a Wild Rice Blend.  But usually the amount of wild rice is quite small. So I like to supplement those blends with extra wild rice.  Even though wild rice takes longer to cook than basmati or many medium to long grain white rices, it usually finishes the same time as brown and red rices, so it is fine to combine them.  The finished product is a flavourful, nutty, savoury rice blend that shines in autumn stuffings, soups, and side dishes.  

How to Cook a Wild Rice Blend

These blends, especially when true wild rice is included take longer than your average white rice.  And the wild rice itself expands more than most typical rices.  I measure out 3/4 cup of a wild rice blend and add it to 1 1/4 cup of chicken or turkey stock, butter and some salt, in my rice cooker.  This gives me about 2 cups cooked rice. If cooking on the stove top, here is the typical method:

1. Combine 1 cup rice with 1 1/4 cup water or broth, and 1 Tbsp. butter or oil (optional) in a pot, and bring to a boil.
2. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 25-30 minutes.  Add more water or broth and time if you haven’t yet achieved your desired texture.
3. Remove from heat (keep covered) and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.  

As an alternative method I add 1 1/2 rinsed rice blend plus 2 tbsp wild rice to about 2 3/4 cups of liquid brought to a boil, and continue cooking uncovered, reducing heat as necessary to maintain an active simmer, for 35 minutes to 40 minutes.The rice is done when the it is pleasantly tender but still offers a light chewy resistance when you bite it, (the wild rice grains may split or start curling) I just drain.  This is the French way of cooking rice.  Cooking it like pasta, which gives you more control of the outcome.  This eliminates the wondering of what is happening on the covered pot, and waiting till the liquids are correctly absorbed.  Drain the rice, return it to the pot, add your seasonings, and cover with a tea towel for about 10 minutes to absorb any excess moisture.  This will give you plenty of cooked rice to use in various ways throughout the week.  If you want, halve this method for a smaller amount of cooked rice.

You can prepare the rice for this dish in advance.  As soon as it has cooled down enough that it isn’t making any more steam, transfer the rice to a sealed container and refrigerate immediately.  It can stay in the fridge safely for up to four days.

It’s A Salad, and So Much More!

Now that we have the wild rice taken care of, let’s add the rest of the ingredients for this salad.  Finely chopped  and massaged (massaging it well between the fingers before adding it to the bowl makes it tender enough to eat raw) Lacinato or Tuscan Kale, one Granny Smith apple which is finely diced, red onion or shallot, pecans (or walnuts) and pomegranate arils.  And also some pine nuts, if you are so inclined. Between the wild rice, and the nuts, and even the kale, we have some protein represented in this salad, so it can even eat like a meal.  

The Dressing

For this Autumn salad, it just seems right to use an Autumn dressing. My Maple Apple Cider dressing is perfect for this salad.  A simple blend of maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and olive oil, this dressing can also be made in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. Just pull it out a good 20 minutes before you want to use it, to allow the olive oil to come back to room temperature.  You can also see this dressing being used in my Autumn Salade Niçoise with Quail Eggs.

Final Thoughts

This salad can be served at room temperature as a great salad side to a turkey dinner.  I often make it to satisfy my vegetarian sister in law, who is then quite happy with this salad, mashed potatoes and roasted squash etc. It takes on the feel of a chopped salad or even a tabbouleh, so serving at room temperature is great.

Feel free to substitute with farro, cooked barley or even quinoa.  Dried cranberries or cherries would also work instead of the pomegranate arils.  Use walnuts or even almonds etc if you’d rather.  It’s salad, so add more of what you like, it won’t affect the final outcome, except that you will like it even more!

This salad can also be sautéed and served warm as a great side to just about anything, say my Roast Berbere Chicken.  It makes a great dinner all on its own, with some goat cheese torn in.  Method: Gently toast the nuts over medium heat in a large skillet, then add the onions as well as a little olive oil and stir till softened.  Add in the kale and apple and cook just to warm through and soften.  Dress with the vinaigrette and finish with the pomegranate arils. 

You can also take any leftovers from the cold salad and store in a sealed container in the fridge.  The next day, saute till warmed through.  Serve with leftover protein, or even a couple of eggs for brunch!

And for a really fun way to serve it, roast off some acorn or honeynut squash, drizzle them with maple syrup, cinnamon and rose harissa, and then spoon the sautéed Wild Rice, Apple and Kale Salad into the cavities. A party of a dish, it will be a showstopper at your next dinner party.  When I’m home alone, roasting off the squash and filling it with the warm salad is a perfect little dinner.  Check out my Roasted Honeynut Squash, Three Ways.  Of course, use your favourite squash, from butternut to acorn.

If you make this Wild Rice, Kale and Apple Salad, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

5 from 2 votes

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Autumn Wild Rice, Kale and Apple Salad

This autumn salad celebrates all the wonderful flavours and textures of autumn. Nutty wild rice blend, crunchy tart green apple, pleasantly softened bitter kale, and pecans are dressed with a maple cider dressing. It can be served at room temperature, sautéed lightly as a side to a roast dinner, or even used to stuff roasted squash. How versatile!

Course Salad

Cuisine North American

Keyword apple cider vinegar, apples, kale, maple syrup, pecans, wild rice

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 3/4 cup wild rice blend, see Notes
• 1 1/4 chicken or turkey stock, plus more if needed, see Notes
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped massaged lacinato kale, the more finely diced, the more it will feel like tabbouleh, see Notes
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• kosher salt and black pepper

Maple Cider Vinaigrette, can be made in advance

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Vinaigrette

1. Combine the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar with a lid. Whisk or shake the lid till everything is well combined. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the while. Taste and re-season as desired. Set aside till needed. If you made this the day before, bring it to room temperature and shake before using.

Salad

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve several times under cold water.
2. Combine the rice, stock, and salt in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.
3. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Check to see if the rice is done. If you would like a softer texture, add 1 or 2 tbsp more stock, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, with the cover on, let it stand for 5 minutes.
5. Fluff with a fork. You will need 1 cup for this recipe, place the rest in a container and in the fridge. Add it to soup etc.
6. Place the 1 cup of cooked rice into a large bowl.
7. Add the kale, lightly massaging it between your fingers as you add it, to help soften it and making it pleasant to eat.
8. Chop the apple into small cubes (between 1/4-1/2 inch cubes) and add to the kale and rice.
9. Add the onions, pecans and pomegranate arils. Drizzle 3 tbsp of the dressing and toss the salad. Taste and season with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
10. The salad can be served immediately with more dressing. Or it can be stored in the fridge, covered with a damp paper towel to keep it crisp till needed.

Alternative serving options

1. Take the finished salad and sauté it all in a large skillet til just warmed through, to give it all a lovely crunch and warmth. Serve this as a side dish instead of a salad. See blog post for details on the method.

2. Roast off acorn, honeynut or other favourite squash, and use the warmed sautéed salad to fill the cavities of halved squash. Drizzle with more dressing, or even maple syrup before serving.

3. See blog post for more details, including substitutions for most ingredients.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to replace 1-2 tbsp of the wild rice blend you have with actual wild rice (if there isn't a fair amount in there all ready)
You can use water instead of stock to cook the rice, but the rice will have less of an earthy savoury presence.

Massaging raw lacinato kale between your fingers before adding it to the bowl tenderizes it enough to make it pleasant to eat uncooked.
To toast the pecans, use a dry skillet set on medium, and place the pecans in it in a single layer. Use a wooden spoon to occasionally stir them up to keep from scorching underneath. As soon as they are fragrant and lightly browned, about 6-7 minutes, remove to a cutting board to cool. Then chop coarsely.