In the fall and winter months, I always find myself craving this Wild Rice Salad recipe. It’s festive, colorful and bursting with some of the season’s best ingredients. It’s naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, and it’s versatile enough to serve for the holidays, as a main dish, side dish or meal prep lunch!

Wild rice salad in a white bowl with a serving spoon

I grew up eating rice several times a week, so it always feels like home to me. Most of the time my mom served a side of white or brown rice with dinner, and my Grandma’s almond rice pilaf was part of every holiday and special occasion.

I discovered wild rice later in life, and fell in love with it immediately. It’s got a hearty, chewy texture that makes it completely addictive, and the nutty flavor and deep color make it even more special.

It makes my crockpot chicken and rice and turkey wild rice soup extra comforting and delicious, and they truly wouldn’t be the same without it.

This Wild Rice Salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. It’s full of texture, color and is truly fall in a bowl. 🙂

If you adore rice salads as much as I do, be sure to try my Southwest brown rice salad and Asian black rice salad recipes as well!

Wild rice salad ingredients segmented in a bowl
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Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • The wild rice has a chewy, nutty texture and deep flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet and savory ingredients!
  • Wild rice salad is a versatile dish that makes a great vegetarian main dish, side dish or lunch.
  • This is a great make ahead recipe that’s perfect for meal prep!
  • It’s naturally gluten-free, vegetarian and may easily be made vegan or dairy-free by omitting the feta cheese.

Recipe ingredients

What I love the most about this wild rice salad recipe is that it can be changed up with your favorite seasonal ingredients, dressing, or simply by utilizing what you have on hand.

Wild rice salad recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Wild rice. I love using a wild rice blend, but any variety will do! Simply cook it according to package instructions and allow it to come to room temperature.
  • Fruit, veggies and herbs. I love pairing orange and pomegranate together for color and flavor, along with savory green onion and parsley for freshness. Change things up by using ingredients such as apple, pear, persimmon, dried cranberries, fresh chives and your favorite herbs.
  • Feta cheese. Sub the feta cheese with goat cheese or shaved manchego or parmesan. Omit the cheese altogether to make this wild rice salad recipe vegan and dairy-free.
  • Pecans. The pecans may be swapped out with your favorite nuts or seeds.
  • Dressing. My tangy apple cider vinegar dressing makes the flavors in this wild rice salad shine. It would also be great with my citrus vinaigrette or your favorite store bought variety.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make this recipe

This wild rice salad recipe is super easy to make. The rice takes about 40 minutes to cook, so you have plenty of time to prep the dressing and the other ingredients while it’s on the stove top.

Pro tip: The entire dish may be prepped in advance, but it’s important to note that the rice will become a bit dry as it will absorb the dressing over time. Simply toss with extra dressing and enjoy!

See the recipe card for full instructions.

How to make wild rice salad
  1. Place the cooked wild rice, orange segments, pomegranate, feta cheese, pecans and parsley in a large bowl.
  2. Add enough apple cider vinegar dressing to coat the ingredients (you may not need it all) and toss well.

Serving suggestions

Besides the fact that it tastes amazing, the glory of this recipe is its versatility. There are countless ways to serve it as shown below.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: The entire dish may be prepped in advance, but it’s important to note that the rice will become a bit dry as it will absorb the dressing over time. Simply toss with extra dressing and enjoy!
  • Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and fragrant.  Use pre-toasted pecans to save time.  
  • Nutrition information does not include the dressing as that has been calculated in a separate post.
  • Omit the cheese to make this wild rice salad recipe vegan!
Spoonful of wild rice salad over a bowl

More rice recipes you’ll love!

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Wild rice salad in a white bowl with a serving spoon

Wild Rice Salad with Orange and Pomegranate

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Wild Rice Salad is hearty, nutritious and tossed in an apple cider dressing! This is a versatile dish that works as a vegetarian main dish, side dish or meal prep lunch!
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup wild rice blend cooked according to package instructions and allow to come to room temperature
  • 1 large orange segmented (cut segments in half if desired)
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1 large green onion white and green parts, sliced thinly on the bias
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans halved or coarsley chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Apple cider vineger dressing

Instructions 

  • Place the cooked wild rice, orange segments, pomegranate, feta cheese, pecans and parsley in a large bowl.
    1 cup wild rice blend, 1 large orange, 1/2 cup pomegranate arils, 1 large green onion, 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1/2 cup toasted pecans, 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Add enough apple cider vinegar dressing to coat the ingredients (you may not need it all) and toss well. Serve and enjoy!
    Apple cider vineger dressing

Notes

  • Pro tip: The entire dish may be prepped in advance, but it’s important to note that the rice will become a bit dry as it will absorb the dressing over time. Simply toss with extra dressing and enjoy!
  • Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and fragrant.  Use pre-toasted pecans to save time.  
  • Nutrition information does not include the dressing as that has been calculated in a separate post.
  • Omit the cheese to make this wild rice salad recipe vegan!
  • Store wild rice salad in an air tight container for up to 3 days.  Reheat in the microwave just until warm (it’s best at room temperature) and drizzle with additional dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 144mg, Potassium: 273mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 454IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in October 2014.  The photos and recipe have been updated, step by step photos have been added, and the post has been modified to include more recipe information.

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