• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Recipe Runner

Eat Well - Run Happy

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Running
    • Training Tip Tuesday
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Tools

Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad

January 4, 2021 by Danae 8 Comments

Jump to Recipe
417shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

This Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad is full of seasonal ingredients, loads of texture and tossed in a maple dijon vinaigrette. This hearty and delicious salad can be served as a main dish or side dish with your next meal!

Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad in a white serving bowl with a small bowl of the vinaigrette behind it and a dish towel.

This recipe and photos have been updated from the original post on 11/30/2014

Is it cliche to start the new year off by sharing a salad recipe? Maybe, but when you love salads as much as I do, you do it anyways.

If you’re unsure about salads in winter, let me assure you that this Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad really hits the spot. Plus, you can serve it with a bowl of this creamy red lentil butternut squash soup if you need something cozy to go with it.

Ingredients used to make the Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad on a sheet pan.

Ingredients Needed to Make Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad

  • wild rice blend
  • baby kale
  • apple
  • oranges
  • celery
  • green onions
  • dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
  • pecans
  • shallot
  • dijon mustard
  • maple syrup
  • apple cider vinegar

closeup photo of the Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad

How to Make Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Since there’s a lot of texture in this salad, it does require some prep work, but I assure you it’s worth the chopping.

Cook the wild rice according to package instructions and then let it cool. Place the cooled rice in a large serving bowl. Chop all of the fruit and vegetables and add them into the bowl with the rice along with the dried cherries (or cranberries).

Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad in a serving bowl with spoons

In a small bowl or jar whisk together the minced shallot, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper and olive oil. Just before serving add in the toasted pecans, baby kale and toss the salad in the vinaigrette. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed and it’s ready to eat.

a serving of Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad with a bowl of the vinaigrette and the serving bowl behind it.

Tips for Success

  • If you plan to make the salad to eat for multiple days, add the baby kale in as you eat it. The kale will quickly wilt once it’s tossed with the vinaigrette.
  • Segment the orange if you don’t want any of the membrane in the salad. Here’s an easy tutorial on how to segment an orange if you’re unsure.
  • If you’re looking to save time, cook the wild rice ahead of time. Unlike white rice, wild rice takes approximately 45 minutes to cook, plus another 10 to steam.
  • Choose a firm, tart, sweet apple such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Opal.

A serving of Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad on a white plate with a fork.

Ingredient Substitutions

Wild Rice Blend – If you don’t have wild rice, try substituting with brown rice, quinoa or farro.

Pecans – Substitute with toasted slivered almonds, walnuts or pistachios. For a nut free option use pepitas.

Oranges – I used naval oranges in the recipe, but any variety of orange would be good. A ruby red grapefruit would also work if you’re looking for something more tart.

Shallot – Substitute with a finely diced yellow onion.

Baby Kale – Arugula stands in well for baby kale as it has a peppery flavor similar to the kale. You can also use baby spinach.

Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad Pinterest collage

Continue to Content
Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad in a white serving bowl with a small bowl of the vinaigrette behind it and a dish towel.

Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This vegan and gluten free salad is a delicious combination of whole grains, vegetables, and sweet winter fruit. It's festive colors make it the perfect salad to serve this holiday season!

Ingredients

Salad

  • 3 cups cooked wild rice blend, cooled to room temperature
  • 4 cups baby kale, chopped
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1 orange, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine all of the salad ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients.
  2. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss together just before serving. Serve the salad cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
© Danae Halliday

More Salad Recipes

Winter Quinoa Kale Salad in black serving bowl with a small dish of pomegranate seeds behind it.Winter Quinoa Kale Salad

overhead photo of Carrot Apple Salad with Yogurt Dressing in serving bowl with spoons. Carrot Apple Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Spinach Orzo Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese, cherry tomatoes and roasted red peppers in a bowl with serving spoons.Spinach Orzo Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese 

 

417shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

You may also like:

  • Turkey Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes | These non-traditional Turkey Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are a fun, healthy and delicious twist one of the classic St. Patrick's Day meals!
    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
  • Heirloom Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad | This simple, fresh, tomato salad recipe is one of my favorites to make in the summer!
    Heirloom Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad
  • Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup | A hearty soup full of vegetables, shredded chicken, cannellini beans, pesto and topped off with parmesan cheese!
    Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Filed Under: Salad Tagged With: Gluten Free, kale, Salad, side dish, vegan, wild rice, winter

Previous Post: « Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
Next Post: Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Danae! Welcome to Recipe Runner. This blog is all about my love of food, cooking, baking, and running. I hope that I can tempt you with my recipes and inspire you with my running stories! Enjoy! Read More ↝

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Recipe Runner Favorites

vanilla and chocolate pizzelles scattered on top of each other and dusted with powdered sugar.
chai ginger cookies drizzled with white glaze scattered on a countertop. A spoon of chai spice next to them and bowl of the glaze.
A slice of Crustless Vegetable Quiche on a white plate with a fork.
Overhead photo of ten Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. One is broken in half.
White bowl with Turkey Taco Soup in it. Topped with melted cheese, avocado and green onions.
Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Bread with three slices cut and lying in front of the loaf.
Creamy Chickpea Noodle Casserole with a breadcrumb topping in a metal skillet with a wooden spoon in the skillet.
Wild rice stuffing with butternut squash, apples, cranberries, pecans and pepitas in a metal skillet with a wooden spoon in it.

Footer

Reader Favorites

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans topped with melted cheese in a cast iron Skillet with a wooden serving spoon in the skillet.

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce | Delicious and healthy Greek chicken skewers with a sauce you'll want to slather on everything!

Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce

Metal skillet filled with ground turkey, rice, zucchini, tomatoes and cheese. Wooden spoon scooping some out of the skillet.

Southwest Turkey, Vegetable and Rice Skillet

Cranberry Vanilla Energy Bites | These healthy energy bites are gluten-free, vegan, paleo and bursting with cranberry and vanilla flavors!

Cranberry Vanilla Energy Bites

Copyright © 2021 · Designed by Snixy Kitchen · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework

This site uses cookies to help provide the best user experience. Find out more.