Wild Rice Salad with mixed greens, roasted sweet potatoes, pomegranate, feta or goat cheese, and honey-roasted almonds, all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Wild Rice Salad You’ll Crave Again Tomorrow!
A few weeks ago, I ordered a wild rice salad at a local restaurant, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The mix of chewy rice, sweet roasted veggies, and crunchy toppings was unlike any salad I’d had before.
The very next day, I went home and started testing my own version, tweaking the flavors until I landed on this one. It has everything I love: hearty wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, bursts of juicy pomegranate, creamy cheese, and honey-roasted almonds for crunch, all tied together with the best lemon vinaigrette.
I served it to my family for Sunday dinner, and everyone went back for seconds. This salad is filling enough to be a meal on its own, but it also shines as a holiday side dish. I’m already planning to put it on my Thanksgiving menu this year.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps & Tips |
|---|---|
| Wild Rice (or blend) | Use a wild rice blend for quicker cooking. Brown rice can work but won’t have the same flavor. |
| Sweet Potatoes | Swap with butternut squash or carrots. Roast in advance to save time. |
| Pomegranate Arils | Dried cranberries work when pomegranates aren’t in season. |
| Cheese | Blue cheese for tang, or omit for dairy-free. |
| Honey-Roasted Almonds | Pecans, walnuts, or even candied pumpkin seeds. Store-bought or homemade. |
| Mixed Greens | Baby spinach, arugula, or spring mix all work. |
Quick Tip
To control how sweet this Wild Rice Salad is, adjust the honey in the dressing. For a sweeter dressing, add additional honey slowly, and to taste. For a tangier dressing, reduce the honey.
How To Make Wild Rice Salad
- Cook the rice. Rinse and simmer until tender. Let it cool completely.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Toss in oil, season, and bake until golden.
- Shake up the dressing. Add ingredients to a jar and shake until emulsified.
- Assemble the salad. Start with greens, add cooled rice and sweet potatoes, then top with pomegranate, cheese, and nuts.
- Dress & serve. Drizzle over the lemon vinaigrette and toss lightly before serving.
How To Deseed A Pomegranate
Cut the pomegranate in half, hold it over a bowl (cut side down), and firmly hit the back with a wooden spoon until the seeds fall out. Fill the bowl with water, let the white membrane float to the top, scoop it out, and drain the seeds. Done!
Let’s Chat Wild Rice
For this wild rice salad, I usually grab a packaged wild rice blend. It cooks in about 20–25 minutes and has great flavor. Pure wild rice can take much longer and is a bit dense, so the blends are a nice shortcut.
If you’d rather make your own, here’s a simple mix I love:
Homemade Wild Rice Blend
- 2/3 cup wild rice blend
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 2/3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp each: oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1 tsp sugar
To cook: Rinse the rice, then simmer everything in a covered pot for 45–55 minutes until tender, adding more broth if needed. Drain excess liquid and fluff with a fork.
Storage
- Make Ahead: Prep rice, sweet potatoes, and pomegranate up to 2 days early. Keep the dressing in a jar. Assemble right before serving.
- Storage: Best fresh once tossed. Store undressed leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days.
- Freezing: Not recommended.
What To Serve With Wild Rice Salad:
Wild Rice Salad
Video
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or bowl
Ingredients
- 1 (4.3-ounce) package Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix see note 1 for homemade
- 2-1/2 cups sweet potatoes 3/4 of 1 pound or 2 medium potatoes
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 8 gently packed cups (8 ounces) mixed greens spinach and baby greens
- 1-1/2 cups sliced almonds I love honey roasted, see note 2
- 1 cup pomegranate arils 1 large pomegranate, see note 3
- 2 to 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta, add to preference
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and set out a large sheet pan.
- Cook wild rice according to package directions or using the homemade version (see note 1). Cool completely before using (I refrigerate it). You can make wild rice up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Space them out for even cooking.
- Bake 10 minutes, flip, and bake another 10 minutes. If not tender, flip again and bake 5–10 more minutes until fork-tender and nicely roasted. Watch carefully to avoid over-roasting. Set aside to cool completely.
- Zest and juice lemon to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Combine lemon zest and juice with all dressing ingredients in a glass jar or bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to taste. Seal and shake (or whisk in the bowl) until combined. Adjust seasoning if needed. Store in fridge and shake again before using.
- Only add dressing, almonds, and cheese to the portion you plan to eat that day. This salad is best enjoyed right after dressing, so if you want leftovers, keep almonds, cheese, and dressing separate until serving.
- Combine cooled wild rice mixture with greens until well mixed. Add cooled roasted sweet potato, pomegranate arils, almonds, and cheese to taste. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently until fully coated. Eat salad the same day to avoid wilting.
Recipe Notes
- Cut in half.
- Hold one half (cut side down) with one hand over a bowl.
- Use a wooden spoon to firmly hit the pomegranate.
- Watch as the pomegranate seeds fall out (along with some of the surrounding membrane).
- Fill up the bowl with water and watch as the membranes rise to the top.
- Scoop them out, discard, and drain.
- Arils are ready to use in this wild rice salad!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wild Rice Salad FAQs
Yes. The rice can be made up to three days in advance.
No soaking is needed, but I do like to thoroughly rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve before using.
Test
This salad is AMAZING! Even my husband couldn’t get enough (which I call a win!).
Yay! So thrilled to hear that 🙂 Thanks so much Ayla!!
I love all things with pomegranate in them and this was incredible!! Loved how simple and delicious the dressing was. Yum!!
Sooo happy you enjoyed this!! I love all things pomegranate too! Thanks for your comment! 🙂