Wild Rice Salad with Kale

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This Wild Rice Salad with Kale is an easy but hearty salad recipe that can be either a main course or side dish. A great prep ahead salad that’s ideal to customize and also stores well in the fridge for a couple of days.

This Wild Rice Salad with kale is hearty, flavorful, and versatile enough to enjoy all year long. The base of wild rice and massaged kale gets a seasonal twist from a rosemary and sage infused cider vinaigrette that’s bright yet comforting. It’s a salad that feels light and fresh in warmer months, but also fits beautifully into fall and holiday menus, pairing well with roasted meats or cozy casseroles.

We also find this is a fantastic meal prep salad since the sturdy kale and rice hold up, staying fresh in the fridge for days. You can customize it endlessly—add roasted squash, cranberries, or nuts for a festive twist, add a protein like chicken, or keep it simple with whatever you have on hand. Whether you serve it as a side dish at a holiday gathering or pack it up for weekday lunches, this salad is both practical and delicious.

If you like this salad, you’ll love my Mediterranean Orzo Salad and my Pulled Chicken Salad with a Tarragon Mustard Vinaigrette.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Minimal ingredients with max flavor. With just a few simple ingredients, you get this super flavorful, delicious salad.
Great for meal prep. Kale and wild rice are two of our favorite ingredients for prep ahead salads. Not only do they stay fresh in the fridge for many days, they are nutritious and hearty.
Works as a main course or a side dish. Whether you are prepping this for lunch or on the side at a holiday table, this salad is perfect for both. It has so many seasonal ingredients for the winter months, but also feels light and fresh if you are opting for a summer lunch.
Easy to customize. We like this salad on it’s own as the nuts, rice and hearty kale hold up, but you can also customize this salad in many ways. Whether your add a protein like chicken or roasted squash, or swap our a different nut, you can really do so much.

Ab’s Tip: Opting for heartier greens like kale allow for longevity and freshness in the fridge. That makes salads like these great for meal prep.

Ingredients

Wild rice: Wild rice adds a hearty, nutty bite to a salad that makes it both satisfying and full of texture.
Kale: We opt for kale in this salad as it brings a sturdy, earthy base to a salad that holds up well to dressings and keeps its freshness for days.
Apple: A sweet, bright apple brings a freshness and a crunch that we love in this salad.
Parmesan: Grated parmesan adds a salty, nutty richness that instantly elevates the flavor of any salad.
Pickled shallots: Pickled shallots bring a bright, tangy bite that balances richness and adds a pop of flavor to a salad.
Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts add a toasty crunch and a subtle sweetness that make a salad feel more flavorful and satisfying.
Honey: Hot or regular honey both add a bright sweetness to any salad.
Rosemary & Sage: We opt for honey and sage in the vinaigrette for this salad because it brings a seasonal element to a classic dressing.
Apple cider: Apple cider is the seasonal twist on the vinaigrette in this salad. It brings such a bright sweetness and makes your kitchen smell amazing.
Dijon Mustard: Dijon gives salad dressing a tangy sharpness and creamy body that helps tie all the flavors together.
Lemon: Citrus adds a bright, zesty freshness to salad dressing that lifts and balances every bite.

How to make Wild Rice Salad with Kale

1. Cook wild rice according to the instructions.

2. Wash and break up kale into bite sized pieces. Massage kale in lemon juice and olive oil until it becomes more tender.

3. Heat and skillet and add apple cider and herbs. Bring to a low simmer for about 10 min and then transfer to a bowl. Discard the herbs.

4. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and the infused cider together. Season to taste.

5. Wipe out skillet and put back on burner. Add butter and honey. When hot, add nuts and cook for 3-4 minutes until nicely coated warmed. Transfer to parchment paper and when cooled, roughly chop.

6. Slice apples, grate parmesan. Add kale to a large bowl and top with wild rice, sliced apples, pickled shallots, chopped nuts and grated parmesan.

ingredients for Wild Rice Salad with Kale

7. Combine everything together and top with fresh parmesan. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Be sure to massage your kale. Make sure to wash, remove stems and massage kale with lemon and olive oil. Doing this helps break up the fibers, making it softer, less bitter, and easier to eat while also absorbing the vinaigrette.
Cook wild rice to perfection. Wild rice typically takes a bit longer to cook compared to white rice. To cook wild rice, rinse it first, then simmer in plenty of water or broth (about 3:1 liquid to rice) until the grains split open and become tender, usually 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook in a rice cooker. You’re looking for rice that is chewy but not hard in the center, with many of the grains bursting to reveal their fluffy interiors.
Cook rice in broth versus water. For even more added flavor, cook rice in chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. Water works just fine, but broth adds a bit more flavor and nourishment to the rice.
Alternative nuts to hazelnuts. You could substitute hazelnuts for another nut like walnuts or pine nuts. You want something that brings that added earthy flavor and crunch, as well as holds up nicely with the honey butter.
Infusing herbs into the apple cider. Infusing rosemary and thyme into the apple cider is an added step we suggest especially around the holidays. Not only does it smell amazing, but it adds such a seasonal depth of flavor to the vinaigrette that holds up. nicely at a holiday table. You can definitely opt to skip this step if you want to save time.

Variations

Using honey instead of apple cider. Apple cider isn’t always seasonally available and honey is a great alternative to the dressing. It will bring that same sweetness and compliment the honey butter nuts.
This salad is great for adding other ingredients you have on hand. Some of our favorites are: pepitas, dried cranberries, other dried fruits, pine nuts, goat cheese, roasted squash and chicken
Adding other veggies. For a more heartier, crunchy salad, we like to add radishes, carrots, snap peas or chopped bell peppers.

Storage

Kale and wild rice are great based for storage in the fridge for meal prep. We suggest making the vinaigrette, cooking the rice, massaging the kale and cooking the hazelnuts ahead of time and storing separately in the fridge for up to 5 days.

When ready to eat, combine ingredients in a bowl and add pickled shallots, grated parmesan and chopped apple. Salad can be ready in minutes!

FAQs

What are the ingredients for wild rice salad?

There are many variations of a wild rice salad, but this version includes wild rice, kale, apples, pickled shallots, grated parmesan and an apple cider infused vinaigrette.

What kind of kale is best for salad?

Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale) is often best for salads because its leaves are tender with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, though curly kale also works well once it’s massaged to soften.

Do you need to rinse wild rice before cooking?

Yes, you will want to rinse wild rice before cooking. Rinse until the water becomes clear and is no longer cloudy. Rinsing the rice washes away excess surface starch, which helps prevent the grains from clumping or becoming gummy as they cook.

Do you need to soak wild rice before cooking?

Soaking wild rice before cooking is optional. It can help reduce cooking time slightly and make the grains cook more evenly, but it’s not necessary—wild rice will cook fully without soaking, just a bit longer.

Salads and Soups

Wild Rice Salad with Kale