Description
Ina Garten’s wild rice salad combines hearty grains with fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables. Mediterranean flavors and bright textures make this dish a perfect summer side or light lunch that you will enjoy sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) long-grain wild rice
- 2 navel oranges
- ½ cup seedless green grapes, halved
- ½ cup pecans, toasted
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rice Preparation: Combine wild rice, water, and salt in a medium pot, bringing to a vigorous boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes until grains are tender and fully expanded.
- Rice Resting: Drain rice using a colander, return to pot, and steam covered for 10 minutes to enhance texture and moisture retention.
- Citrus Segmentation: Meticulously remove orange peel and white membrane, carefully cutting between membrane sections to extract pure fruit segments.
- Flavor Foundation: Transfer warm wild rice to a large mixing bowl, introducing orange segments and creating a vibrant base for the salad.
- Liquid Infusion: Drizzle olive oil, orange juice, and raspberry vinegar over the rice mixture, gently folding to ensure uniform flavor distribution.
- Ingredient Integration: Fold in green grapes, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and finely chopped scallions, creating a complex textural landscape.
- Seasoning Refinement: Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and adjust salt levels to achieve a harmonious taste profile.
- Flavor Melding: Allow salad to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, enabling ingredients to interconnect and develop nuanced flavors.
- Final Perfection: Conduct a conclusive taste assessment, making any final seasoning adjustments before serving at ambient temperature.
Notes
- Prep Rice Perfectly: Simmer uncovered and let steam for tender, fluffy texture that prevents mushy consistency.
- Segment Oranges Precisely: Remove all white membrane for clean, pure fruit segments that enhance salad’s fresh flavor profile.
- Balance Flavor Layers: Allow salad to rest at room temperature, letting ingredients meld and develop complex taste combinations.
- Customize Texture Contrast: Toast pecans briefly to release nutty oils and create crunchy element against soft rice and juicy fruits.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg