Menu
  • Home
  • Copyright
  • Contact

Feast on the Cheap

Entertaining Recipes for the Budget Gourmet

  • twitter-bird2-square-webtreatsetc-150x150
  • rss-cube-webtreatsetc-150x150
  • facebook-logo-square-webtreatsetc-150x150
  • pinterest-square150
  • 3d-transparent-glass-instagram-icon
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Well-Stocked
  • Links
  • Home
  • About Mary Anne and Mariel
  • Copyright
  • Links
  • Recipe Index
  • Well-Stocked
  • Contact

Crunchy Wild Rice Salad with Rosemary-Maple Vinaigrette

March 16, 2015 by Mariel Goodson 11 Comments

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
Wild Rice Salad Rosemary Maple Dressing We’re finally starting to thaw out here in the Northeast and the warm-up couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I was literally about to lose my mind to cabin fever since my doctor has prohibited me from taking the baby out for walks when it’s below freezing. That means, over the course of his first two months, Baby Ice has been on a sum total of ONE walk his entire life. That’s pretty bleak.

Now that it’s regularly above 32-degrees, I’ve been bundling him up and hitting the mean suburban streets with my two-month-old and my two-year-old in tow. My toddler gets a real kick out of splashing in muddy pothole puddles while I get a real kick out of breathing fresh air. The baby? He’s pretty much the happiest baby on any block so he’s just psyched to be part of the party.

In any event, because it’s finally starting to feel livable in the Northern Corridor, I decided to forgo making something warm and cozy for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. I was assigned Join Us Pull Up a Chair, which is helmed by the lovely Heather (also a mom to young kids), and I came across her delicious-looking Wild Rice & Butternut Squash Salad. This crunchy medley reminds me of my mom’s Wild Rice & Montrachet Salad, which has been a family (and catering business) staple for decades.

Even though I was equally tempted by Heather’s Chicken with Artichokes and Lemon and this Italian Meatball Soup, I knew I had landed on a winner when I took one look at the dressing’s ingredients. What’s not to love about Rosemary, Balsamic and Maple Syrup? This salad is absolutely outstanding and it’s virtually seasonless in the sense that you could serve it at a summer picnic or paired with pork tenderloin in the dead of winter. I made a few tweaks – namely swapping out kale in favor of spinach and adding a crumble of salty almonds. In the end, my mom even said it might just be better than her own rendition, which is pretty much her highest praise.

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe

Crunchy Wild Rice Salad with Rosemary-Maple Dressing
Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients for the Salad:
3 cups cooked wild rice, warm (Avoid quick-cooking wild rice; I recommend Lundberg Organic Wild Rice, 8 Ounce) – $5.11
2½ cups peeled and chopped butternut squash – $2.29
1½ Tablespoons olive oil – stock
Salt & freshly ground pepper – stock
2½ cups thinly sliced baby spinach – $2.49
¾-cup dried cranberries – $2.99
½-cup roasted/salted almonds, roughly chopped – $5.29
¼-cup thinly sliced fresh basil – $1.99

Dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil – stock
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup – stock
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar – stock
½-teaspoon sea salt – stock
½-teaspoon black pepper – stock
½-Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary – $1.99
1 garlic clove, minced finely or pressed – stock
Grand total assuming well-stocked kitchen: $22.15
Cost per serving: $3.69

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. On the stove top, cook the wild rice in chicken broth/stock according to package directions. Lundberg wild rice takes roughly 45 minutes to cook. Season the rice with a pinch of salt.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the chopped butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in one layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the squash is fork tender.

4. While the squash is roasting, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk vigorously. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries, almonds, squash and basil. Allow the rice to cool to warm then combine with the remaining salad ingredients. Toss with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

An InLinkz Link-up


Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Filed Under: Gluten-free, Meatless Mondays, Recipe Index, Recipes Under $30, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: cooking, epicurious, food, healthy, recipes, Recipes Under $30, salad, secret recipe club, vegetarian

About Mariel Goodson

The daughter in this mother-daughter duo, Mariel is the co-founder of Brass Hill Design and a former magazine writer who has contributed to Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, SELF, Redbook and Good Housekeeping, among many others.

Comments

  1. Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says

    March 16, 2015 at 6:09 am

    This is just beautiful!! I am for sure going to make this. Thanks for the tip on the wild rice.

    Reply
  2. Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair says

    March 16, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    Oh so glad you loved this recipe and the sweet words from your mom! This was a huge hit in our family and you’re right the dressing is AMAZING! I never thought about making this as a summer salad, but it would be great with some grilled chicken.

    Reply
  3. Deanna Segrave-Daly says

    March 16, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    The colors in this salad are simply magical. We just finished up a recipe contest with U.S. Rice over at Recipe ReDux so needless to say I have rice on my mind and this recipe is calling my name!

    Reply
  4. Jane, The Heritage Cook says

    March 16, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    I love wild rice dishes and the rosemary-maple dressing sounds fantastic. Adding this to my must-make list!!

    Reply
  5. Tammy says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    What a gorgeous salad! 😀 The maple and rosemary is like a win-win – for me at least since I adore them both. I could live on this…great SRC choice 🙂

    Toodles,
    Tammy<3

    Reply
  6. Margaret says

    March 18, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    I just happen to have wild rice in the pantry and butternut in the cellar. What a great combo for a salad.

    Reply
  7. ecfromdc says

    April 6, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Hi….is this meant to be a meal on it’s own or a side?

    Reply
    • Mariel Goodson says

      April 6, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      It’s both, really. We served this as a side on Easter, but I’ve also eaten it many times as lunch, all by itself. It’s plenty filling when you dish out a large portion 🙂

      Reply
      • ecfromdc says

        April 6, 2015 at 3:31 pm

        Thanks for responding so quickly! 🙂
        Since this serves 6 as a side….i’m guessing 2 servings worth (side portions) would be a filling lunch or…?

        Reply
        • Mariel Goodson says

          April 6, 2015 at 7:25 pm

          Yes, I would say this makes about 3-4 lunch-size portions so that’s a good estimate.

          Reply
          • ecfromdc says

            April 6, 2015 at 8:38 pm

            Great…..thanks again.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

bio5

MEET MARY ANNE & MARIEL:

A mother-daughter duo starring a professional caterer and a fledgling foodie.

Subscribe by Email


Enter your email address:

As Seen In

Archives

Categories

Top Posts

  • Passover Pot Roast
  • Tuscan Sausage Soup with Shell Pasta, Spinach & White Beans
  • Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake
  • Hungarian Mushroom Soup
  • Creme Brulee with Candied Peaches

Pages

  • About Mary Anne and Mariel
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Links
  • Recipe Index
  • Well-Stocked

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS Subscription

Latest Posts

Grilled Watermelon with Goat Cheese and Crispy Pancetta

Slow-Roasted Soy-Glazed Beef with Fresh Tomatoes, Onions & Cilantro

Holiday Wishlist for the Design Obsessed

Copyright © 2023 · Feast on The Cheap · Built By VarickDesign

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.