This Wild Rice Salad combines cooked and cooled wild rice with mixed greens, roasted sweet potatoes, pomegranate arils, creamy feta (or goat) cheese, and honey-roasted almonds. A simple and delicious lemon vinaigrette ties everything together perfectly!
PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set out an extra-large sheet pan.
WILD RICE: Prepare the wild rice either according to the package directions or for a homemade version, (see Note 1). Let cool completely before using (I pop it in the fridge.)Wild rice can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
SWEET POTATO PREP: Peel and chop the sweet potato into small cubes (1-inch) and place them on the large sheet pan. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (I add ¼tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper). Toss to coat evenly then space them out so they have plenty of room.
ROAST SWEET POTATOES: Bake for 10 minutes, flip and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. If not quite tender, flip again then bake for an additional 5-10 more minutes or until nicely roasted and fork tender. Watch carefully so they don't get over-roasted! Set aside to fully cool.
DRESSING: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar or bowl. Season to taste. (I add ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper.) Place the lid on the jar and shake (or whisk in the bowl) until combined. Taste and adjust (additional salt/pepper/honey). Store in the fridge until ready to use, shaking again before topping the salad.
COMBINE: (Read the next instruction first.) Toss together completely cooled wild rice mixture with the lettuce until ingredients are nicely integrated. Add the completely cooled roasted sweet potato, pomegranate arils, almonds, and cheese (adding to taste preference). Drizzle on dressing and toss gently until ingredients are nicely incorporated and fully dressed. Once dressed, salad needs to get eaten the same day--otherwise the dressing wilts and begins to break apart the lettuce.
STORAGE: Only add dressing, almonds, and cheese to the amount of salad you intend to eat that day. This salad is best eaten immediately after being dressed, so if you want leftovers, only add almonds, cheese, and dressing to the portion that will be eaten immediately.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Wild rice. If you'd prefer to make the wild rice from scratch, I've detailed the ingredients and process in the post. Reference the section "Let's chat wild rice."Note 2: Almonds: Instead of packaged honey-roasted almonds, I recommend toasting plain almonds for maximum flavor (this is, of course, optional). To do so: place almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir until lightly fragrant watching carefully to not burn them. Remove from pan to let cool.Note 3: Pomegranate: Cut and deseed a pomegranate or use already seeded pomegranate arils! These arils are typically sold in small plastic cups in the refrigerated produce section or freshly cut fruit section of most grocery stores. They can sometimes be tricky to find and are usually only sold in the US from October to February.Here’s how I like to remove the seeds from a pomegranate:
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.