This hearty and nutritious kale & wild rice salad is a perfect holiday side.
This is a great salad to make during the holiday season: A kale & wild rice salad with a rosemary and sage infused cider vinaigrette! I’ve been on a real kale kick recently and this is one has become one of my staples. The hearty kale combined with texture of wild rice is such a satisfying base that’s as nutritious as it is delicious! This salad cane be whipped up day of or made in advance. All you need is your kale, wild rice, an apple, part, and pickled shallots. For a little extra crunch, I cooked up hazelnuts in some honey butter and added those on top for some sweet and nutty flavor. To make the vinaigrette, I used rosemary, apple cider, dijon mustard, lemon and EVOO. One of the great things about using kale is how dense it is. You can dress your salad in advance and allow for the leaves to tenderize. This is such a great salad to make around the holidays! I love making fun and interesting salads, so be sure to check out my other recipes for inspiration!
Here’s how to make it:
Kale & wild rice salad with a rosemary & sage cider vinaigrette
Ingredients
- Wild rice, cooked
- Kale, massaged in EVOO and lemon juice
- 1 honey crisp apple
- Grated parmesan
- Pickled shallots
- Grated parmesan
- Salt / pepper
The hazelnuts:
- Hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp hot or regular honey
The vinaigrette: All these are close estimates so definitely season to taste!
- A few sprigs of herbs (I used sage and rosemary)
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1-2 tsp dijon mustard (start with one and season to taste)
- 1/2 a lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup EVOO
Instructions
- Cook wild rice and massage kale in lemon juice and olive oil while you prep everything else.
- Add apple cider and herbs to a pan. Let simmer on low for about 10 min and then transfer to a bowl.
- Whisk in olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Season to taste.
- Combine everything together and top with fresh parm. Enjoy!
