Wild Rice and Arugula Salad
17 Comments
Updated May 04, 2019
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Wild rice and arugula salad takes advantage of fresh seasonal greens, including arugula, cucumber, spring onions and mint – and pairs that with the nuttiness of wild rice and sweetness of dried cranberries. It’s deliciously simple and packed with flavor.
A Tasty Wild Rice Salad
Spring has me craving all the salads right now. Warmer weather and lighter meals go hand-in-hand. So you’ll likely see several new salad recipes popping up on the website.
But one salad I’ve been making again and again (because it’s so darn easy) is this wild rice and arugula salad. There’s only one thing you have to cook for the salad – the wild rice – and then it’s just a matter of tossing everything else together in the bowl.
What is Wild Rice?
Wild rice may have “rice” in the name, but it’s quite different than your typical white or brown rice. In fact, it’s a whole different species. Wild rice comes from a tall grass that grows wild in lakes and streams in North America (mainly). So essentially, it’s the seed of marsh grass.
Wild rice has an earthy, nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture. It’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals and has an impressive amount of dietary fiber.
How to Cook Wild Rice
Wild rice takes longer to cook than white or brown rice, so plan accordingly. But other than that, the process is the same.
For every one cup of wild rice, you’ll need approximately 3 cups of water. But I cook wild rice by boiling a medium pot of water, adding the rinsed wild rice, then draining once it’s fully cooked – which is about 40-50 minutes. Much easier and no measuring needed.
How to Make This Wild Rice and Arugula Salad
I find that arugula, with it’s stronger, more peppery flavor pairs beautifully with the nuttiness of the wild rice. And to take advantage of seasonal, spring veggies, we’ll be adding cucumber and green onion along with a smidge of chopped mint.
Once your wild rice is cooked, drain it and add to a bowl along with the arugula and other greens. Then, add some dried cranberries (though you could also use raisins or other dried fruit) and sliced almonds. Season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with my homemade lemon vinaigrette.
Voila. A delicious, light yet filling, seasonally appropriate Wild Rice and Arugula Salad.
For more healthy salad recipes, make sure to check out my Easy Cucumber Salad, Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh, BLT Salad with Avocado and Sprouts and Watermelon Radish and Cucumber Salad. Enjoy!
Wild Rice and Arugula Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 3/4 cup wild rice
- 1 large cucumber, small diced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 recipe lemon vinaigrette
Instructions
- Add the wild rice to a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water under the faucet.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the wild rice. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until the rice is tender and has started to split open. Drain the rice.
- Add the rice and remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette.
Lisa's Tips
- This is a great "make ahead" salad and it's perfect for meal prep. You can see me make it in my Spring Meal Prep video.
- And while you can use any brand of wild rice, this is the brand of wild rice that I personally use and recommend as its organic.
Nutrition
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This was super good. Very adaptable. Will be stopping by this website more often.
Thanks, Mark! I’m happy you enjoyed this salad. And welcome to Downshiftology!
Delicious salad. Made this for dinner and it was a big hit!
My favorite salad now. The mint makes it pop! I have made this for several dinners and everyone loves it. Make sure your rice is dry before blending it in. Otherwise it can get soggy!
Hi Marcos – I’m glad you enjoyed this simple, yet delicious salad :)
Looks amazing. I will try it as soon as possible. Anyway, I am wondering, whether you have brown rice or quinoa or amaranth as well? They are whole foods, aren’t they? I was currently diagnosed with celiac disease and am a little confused by all the partially contradictory recommendation. I feel a little lost in this jungle. I have eaten vegan and would like to continue to eat this way, so that Paleo (recommended by the majority of people with a gut health condition) does not really agree with my philosophy. I love your blog and am so much looking forward to what you’re thinking / recommending. Best, Sandra
Hi Sandra, you could definitely swap in any of those grains in this recipe. I do eat both white and brown rice, but I don’t eat much quinoa as my stomach/immune system doesn’t like it. Some celiacs have found quinoa difficult to digest and others are fine with it, so it’s very individual. I do believe in including as many healthy whole food ingredients as your body allows (which are also nutrient-dense), so it’s likely something you’ll have to experiment with for your body. Hopefully my recipes will give you plenty of inspiration though! :)
I am planning to make this one very soon. I recently bought a packet of wild rice and have somehow haven’t opened it yet. This recipe looks so inviting that I guess it is time to use it now.. And I can already imagine biting into a sweet cranberry or crunchy almond with the soft rice and arugula!
Thank you sharing!
Yes, it’s a great combo of simple flavors! Hope you enjoy it Ashima!
I love the sound of this, arugula has such a great flavour! Salads and lighter meals are definitely order of the day here too!
I’m definitely a fan of arugula as well. It’s one of my favorite greens. Hope you enjoy the recipe Brian!
Love this salad, I usually cook wild rice in the pressure cooker so it is much faster. I going to buy some to make this salad, it is very tempting
That’s such a great idea to cook the wild rice in the pressure cooker! I definitely need to use my Instant Pot more. Hope you enjoy the recipe Laura!
So delicious! I love all the textures in this salad too. Perfect as a light lunch.
Yes, it’s great as a light lunch. I made it for meal prep and enjoyed it the last three days in a row for lunch. It was perfect!
I know exactly what I’m having for supper tonight! Wild rice has such a deep and nutty flavour. Love it
It sure does! I love that nutty flavor and chewy texture as well. Enjoy!