This wild rice salad with butternut squash is one of the best fall salads I’ve tried! It’s full of delicious flavors and textures, plus it’s absolutely gorgeous!
Looking for more fall salad recipes? Try my Butternut Squash Salad, Broccoli Salad and Spinach Salad with Quinoa.
This Wild Rice Salad will Steal the Show
This wild rice salad is the recipe that won me over as a wild rice fan. Now that I’ve created this festive fall salad recipe, I know it won’t be the last wild rice recipe I develop in my kitchen.
This beautiful wild rice salad is one of the best salads I’ve tried. Earthy, nutty wild rice pairs perfectly with roasted butternut squash, apple, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. The dressing for this salad is a delicious vinaigrette made with fresh orange, apple cider vinegar and a bit of pure maple syrup for sweetness. Each bite of this salad is full of flavor and makes you want to go back for more!
The best part about this wild rice salad is that it works for so many occasions. It’s a beautiful addition to a Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner. I’ve also served it with a roast chicken for Sunday dinner, a meal my whole family loves.
Ways I’ve Served this Wild Rice Salad
- Healthy holiday side dish. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving side dish! Also try my favorite Broccoli Casserole and Stuffing Recipe.
- Delicious fall salad. I love to serve this wild rice salad with some of our favorite family dinners, like Baked Chicken Breast, Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin and Baked Pork Chops.
- The leftovers are amazing for lunch. The flavors just get better as the salad rests in the fridge!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the salad and dressing:
Find the full printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Wild Rice Salad
Cook wild rice. Boil the rice, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it. Then drain and let it rest with a lid on the pot for 10 minutes before allowing to cool.
Roast the squash. Place cubed butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 425° F for 25-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Toast the walnuts in a skillet until fragrant.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), Dijon, salt and pepper.
Put it all together. Add the cooked wild rice to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and stir to distribute. Then add the celery, apple, red onion and dried cranberries. Stir gently until combined. Add the toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash and parsley last and toss gently to combine.
Salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Recipe Variations
I love this wild rice salad as is, but if you want to play around with the flavors, here are a few things you might try:
- Swap pecans for the walnuts. Toast the pecans in a skillet, just as you would walnuts.
- Add goat cheese. I actually tested this recipe with goat cheese and preferred the look of the salad without it, but it does add a nice tangy flavor and a bit of creaminess, if you want to give it a try.
- Swap the butternut squash for sweet potatoes. See my roasted sweet potatoes recipe for cooking instructions. Or, simplify the recipe by omitting the squash. It will still be full of delicious flavors!
- Add arugula or kale. The peppery bite of baby arugula works well in this dish. Or mix in some kale. I recommend massaging the kale like I do in this Kale Salad recipe.
Make Ahead
If you plan to make this wild rice salad for a holiday meal, you can make it one day ahead of time to save time on the day of the holiday. I recommend adding the apple right before serving to prevent browning.
Leftovers will last for up to 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients
Wild Rice:
- 8 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups wild rice
Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 5 cups cubed butternut squash, about 1 medium squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ to ¾-inch cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Remaining Salad Ingredients:
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 large apple, cut into ½-inch chunks
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 orange
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Place water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rise well under cool running water. Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Boil the rice, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it. (Taste a few grains to check.) Drain rice well in a colander, return to the pot, cover with the lid and let stand (off the heat) for 10 minutes. Then fluff rice and let it cool slightly.
- Roast the squash: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425° F. Place cubed butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender.
- Toast walnuts: Place walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, stirring often. Watch them closely as they can go from toasted to burnt quickly. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
- Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients: olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), Dijon, salt and pepper.
- Assemble salad: Place cooked wild rice in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and stir to distribute. Add the celery, apple, red onion and dried cranberries. Stir gently until combined. Add the toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash and parsley last and toss gently to combine. Salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- Make Ahead: If you’re making this salad for a holiday meal, you can make it one day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. I recommend adding the apple right before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Swap pecans for the walnuts. Toast the pecans in a skillet, just as you would walnuts.
- Add goat cheese. I actually tested this recipe with goat cheese and preferred the look of the salad without it, but it does add a nice tangy flavor and a bit of creaminess, if you want to give it a try.
- Swap the butternut squash for sweet potatoes. See my roasted sweet potatoes recipe for cooking instructions. Or, simplify the recipe by omitting the squash. It will still be full of delicious flavors!
- Add arugula or kale. The peppery bite of baby arugula works well in this wild rice salad. Or mix in some kale. I recommend massaging the kale like I do in this Kale Salad recipe.
This salad looks so pretty, Kristine! I love the wild rice and butternut squash in here. This is the kind of meal that I love making for leftovers. I have no doubt that this would last all of 2 seconds in my house, so perfect for this time of year!
I LOVE wild rice, right along with everything you’ve added to it! This is definitely something I’d be happy to eat every day and would be very sad when it was gone. I’m currently craving a big bowl!
Delicious! The only thing I changed was to use chicken broth and Apple juice to cook the wild rice. I also broke the pecans up instead of leaving whole.
That’s a great idea to cook the rice in broth and apple juice for more flavor! Thanks for sharing!