This Kale Wild Rice Salad is the best salad ever, no joke! It is hearty enough to be served as a main course or it can be served as a side dish as well. The wild rice and kale give it a heartiness, the veggies provide the crunch and the dash of tarragon adds a nice floral flavor which complements the blood orange dressing really well.
I was craving a hearty and healthy salad, so I went digging through my refrigerator and I came up with this gem. The kale and all the other veggies are extremely healthy for you and the wild rice is a complete protein thus making this salad a healthy meal. This salad is so versatile that you can adjust the quantities to your liking. I have enjoyed it cold as well as heated up. It is also the perfect lunch to pack for work. You can make it on a Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week. It will last the longest if you wait to mix in the dressing until it is served. For all you vegans, just leave off the cheese.
Serve this salad with a Sauvignon Blanc or a light Pinot Noir.
Kale Wild Rice Salad with Savory Blood Orange Vinaigrette Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Wild Rice - recipe below
- 1 Recipe Savory Blood Orange Vinaigrette - recipe below
- 1 Head of Kale or 7 Cups Chopped I used lacinato kale
- 1 Cup Manchego Cheese - finely shredded
- 3/4 Cup Sliced Radishes - thinly sliced
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper - cut into strips or diced
- 1/2 Cup Carrot - shredded
- 1/2 Cup Red Cabbage - minced
- 1/2 Cup Green Garlic or green onion if you can't find it - minced
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Tarragon optional but oh so good
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wild Rice
- 1 Cup Wild Rice
- 2 1/4 Cup Filtered Water
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Clove Garlic optional
- 1 Unsalted Bouillon Cube optional
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Blood Orange - fresh squeezed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Blood Orange Zest
- 1 about 2 tablespoons Shallots - minced
- 1 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - or to taste
- Dash Black Pepper
Garnish
- Sliced Almonds
- Micro Sprouts of your choice I used kale sprouts
Instructions
Wild Rice
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Make sure you rinse well before you cook to remove any particles.
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Bring water, garlic, bouillon and salt to a boil then add the rice, cover and turn the heat to in-between low and medium-low.
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Cook for 50 – 60 minutes or until rice has split open.
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Every stove cooks differently so if you still have some water left just drain it.
Vinaigrette
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Add mustard, orange juice, orange zest and salt to a medium bowl and whisk together.
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Next whisk in the champagne vinegar, then the sherry vinegar and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and shallots.
Salad
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Wash the kale and tear off the main rib by holding the end of the stem and sliding off the leaves then chop into thin strips.
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Put the kale in a large bowl with the olive oil and massage the oil into the kale then add the rice and dressing and mix together.
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You can either completely cool the rice or add it warm. (I like it slightly warm)
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Add the cheese, radishes, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage, garlic greens and tarragon to the bowl to the kale and mix together.
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Top individual salads with the almonds, micro sprouts and vinaigrette.
Recipe Notes
Unlike other rice, it is ok to take the lid off to check if the water is gone, just put the lid back on. Some people add 3 cups of water then drain after. Vinaigrette
Health Benefits:
Kale is low in calories, high in fiber and it is a loaded with antioxidants which help detox the liver. It is also an anti-inflammatory with omega-3 fatty acids, which is helpful for arthritis, joint pain and asthma. Kale has more Iron than beef and more calcium than milk which helps prevents osteoporosis, joint flexibility and helps maintain normal bone health. It is great for a cardiovascular support that helps in lowering cholesterol. It is really high in vitamin A, C, and super high in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K (anyone taking anticoagulants should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K that may interfere with the drugs.) More on kale
Wild rice is a good source of fiber, therefore, it helps with digestion and to lower cholesterol. It is a complete protein and has twice as much protein as brown rice. Wild rice contains all of the essential amino acids, but it’s a bit low in lysine. It is extremely high in antioxidants so regular consumption protects you from disease and aging. A serving of wild rice is lower in calories than other any other rice and provides 15 percent of the recommended daily value of zinc. It has good sources of essential minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, folate, Vitamin B6, and niacin.
