Roasted Beet Wild Rice Pilaf

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Beet Wild Rice Pilaf

This wild rice pilaf has a colorful combination of ingredients and textures with roasted beets, baby spinach, pecans and dried cranberries.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

For beets

1 1/2 pounds red and golden beets without greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For rice

1 cup wild rice blend
2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

For vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

For rice pilaf

3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place each beet on an individual piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Fold into loose packets and place on a sheet pan. Roast the beets for 45-50 minutes until they can be easily pierced with a knife.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a towel to rub off the skins. Dice the beets into 1/2-inch pieces.
Combine the wild rice and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. (Check the recommended cook time on the package.) Let the rice stand for 5 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
For the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, apple cider vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.
Combine the rice, scallions, spinach, pecans, cranberries and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle in the vinaigrette, tossing everything together.
Gently fold in the roasted beets.

Notes

Baby arugula is a good substitute for the spinach or you can use a mix of both.

Instead of pecans, you can use walnuts or almonds.

You can make the rice, beets and dressing up to 3 days in advance. Let both the wild rice and beets cool to room temperature. Store them and the vinaigrette in their own airtight containers in the fridge. Give all the ingredients at least 15 minutes to sit out at room temperature, so they aren’t as cold.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The spinach will soften, so it is a good idea to stir in another handful of fresh greens.

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