Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad With Cider Vinaigrette

By Yossy Arefi

Updated December 1, 2020

  • Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
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Total Time
1¼ hours
Rating
5(584)
Comments
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Toothsome wild rice, caramelized roasted veggies and crisp radicchio all shine in this generous salad, which can be served as a hearty side or satisfying lunch. Radicchio adds a pop of color and a punch of bitterness, but a peppery green like arugula would also make a great substitute. This salad is tossed with a generous batch of mustard-cider vinaigrette. If you decide to double the dressing or have any left over, it pairs beautifully with just about any grain or hearty green, and will keep refrigerated for up to three days.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE WILD RICE SALAD

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • ¾ cup uncooked wild rice (about 5 ounces)

  • ¾ pound peeled kabocha or butternut squash, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • ½ small head radicchio, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup sweetened dried cherries

  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems

  • ⅓ cup toasted chopped walnuts

  • Flaky sea salt

FOR THE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

  • 1 cup fresh apple cider

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon minced shallot

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

42 grams carbs; 343 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 401 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the center of the oven.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the rice: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the wild rice to the boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice until tender and most grains have split, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain the rice.

  3. Step 3

    While the rice cooks, roast the squash: On a baking sheet, toss the squash with the olive oil, paprika and a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Spread the squash into an even layer, then transfer to the oven to roast, stirring a few times, until golden and tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil over high. Boil the cider until it has reduced to about ¼ cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer the cider syrup to a jar with a lid (don’t put the lid on yet) and let it cool slightly. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Assemble the salad: Add the cooked rice, roasted squash, radicchio, cherries and parsley to a large bowl. Shake the vinaigrette to combine, then drizzle a few tablespoons over the salad and toss gently to combine. Add more vinaigrette to taste. (You may have a bit of extra vinaigrette; refrigerate it for up to 3 days and toss with other greens or grains.)

  6. Step 6

    Top the salad with the toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of flaky salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
584 user ratings
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Comments

JMD

Be aware that cultivated wild rice, and the true wild rice, the kind that grows in the lakes of northern Minnesota, and is hand harvested by the Ojibwe and parched over a wood fire, are quite different. Cultivated wild rice requires about 40 minutes of cooking, but, if you use the hand harvested wild rice, you should cook it only 15 minutes, 20 minutes maximum. If you haven't tried the real wild rice, I highly recommend it; the texture and flavor are amazing!

Julia

This is really delicious. I used baby arugula instead of radicchio, and added lots to make more of a greens/grains salad. For the dressing, used honey instead of reducing apple cider. Grilled chicken with some Penzey's Mural of Flavor, sliced and served over the salad to create a filling bowl. Super healthy, totally satisfying and delicious. Glad I rediscovered wild rice!

J

A fair amount of work but very tasty. Didn’t have apple cider so used 1/4 apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp honey. Don’t skip any of the salad ingredients, they all add something.

JudyA

So delish! Make this for Thanksgiving!

Jacqueline

You can actually buy boiled cider which eliminates the need to make it yourself. I use it all the time and drizzle it over roasted Brussels sprouts, Sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

Rachel

I ate this salad for lunch and with every bite had the joy of thinking to myself “oh my god this is SO good”. Didn’t change a thing from the recipe as written. Thank you!

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