Sara's Wild Rice Salad

My wonderful friend Sara found this recipe online last summer. Since then it has been a weekly staple in our household. We have made this with plain long grain brown rice, a wild rice and brown rice blend and just wild rice. I think that it tastes the best with just wild rice and doesn’t seem to be as sticky or mushy as it is with the brown rice. Eat up!!!

Sara’s Wild Rice Salad

1 ½ uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15 oz) chick peas
1 can (15 oz) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup dried cranberries
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Fill a large saucepan with 4 ½ cups of water. Add rice and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, yet still a bit chewy. Drain any excess liquid. Rinse rice under cold water and drain well.

Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Add chickpeas, beans, walnuts, green onions and dried cranberries to rice and toss to combine.


To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, cumin, curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and minced garlic. Gradually add the olive oil and whisk until blended. Gradually pour dressing over rice mixture. Gently toss and continue to add dressing until all ingredients are lightly coated.


Season salad with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. The salad can be made ahead of serving time and refrigerated.

Makes 6 large main dish servings.