Lemon Herb Wild Rice Salad

5 from 8 votes

With arugula, scallions, parsley, chives and chopped pistachios, this simple lemon herb wild rice salad is a salad and side dish in a single recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 cup wild rice, rinsed
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup baby arugula
1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the white parts of the scallions until they start to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the wild rice and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Check the doneness of the rice. The gains should be cooked but still chewy. (Also, refer to the package instructions for recommended cook time.)
Drain any remaining liquid from the saucepan. Let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and transfer it to a large bowl.
Make the dressing while the rice is cooking. In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Stir the dressing into the rice.
Add the lemon zest, green parts of the scallions, arugula, pistachios, parsley and chives to the rice. Stir to combine the ingredients

Video

Notes

You can make the rice 2 days in advance. Let it cool to room temperature before you transfer it to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator.

Also, you can make the vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes and whisk it together. Wait to combine the dress and the rice until you are about to make the salad to serve it.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The arugula will become soft and wilt, so stir in another handful of fresh greens.

Optional Additions:

You can add one of the following for sweetness:
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 crisp apple, diced

You can add one of the following cheeses:
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

You can also add roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash. Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in a 400-degree F oven for about 30 minutes until they are lightly browned at the edges and soft in the middle.

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