This Kale Wild Rice Salad is perfect for those cold weather days as well as very satisfying with the addition of the wild rice. It has just a hint of sweetness from the pomegranate vinegar and seeds.
There is a lot of cooking to be done today and tomorrow for Thanksgiving and I love it! This year it’s going to be just Robby and I. He is making a turkey breast, which is a lot easier and this way there won’t be as much left over. Although, he will still be eating it for days. I am going to make my potato squash au gratin for my main, mashed potatoes, shiitake mushroom gravy, peas, this salad and an apple galette.
This pairs well with a white or light red wine like a Riesling, Verdejo, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or a Sangiovese.
Kale Wild Rice Salad with Savory Pomegranate Vinaigrette Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 Cup Cooked Wild Rice - recipe below
- Savory Pomegranate Vinaigrette - recipe below
- 1 Head Kale - about 7 cups - thinly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Small Fennel Bulb - quartered and thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano - finely shredded and packed
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds - or to taste
- 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seeds - or to taste
Wild Rice
- 1/2 Cup Wild Rice
- 1 1/4 Cup Filtered Water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Clove Garlic
- 1 Unsalted Bouillon Cube optional
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - or to taste
Savory Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Champagne Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Pomegranate Juice
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Clove Garlic – minced
- 2 Tablespoons Shallot – minced
Instructions
Rice
-
Make sure you rinse well before you cook to remove any particles.
-
Bring water, garlic, bullion and salt to a boil then add the rice, cover and turn the heat to in-between medium-low and low.
-
Cook between low and medium-low for 50 – 60 minutes or until rice has split open. Every stove cooks differently, so if you still have some water left simply drain it.
-
* Unlike other rice it is ok to take the lid off to check if the water is gone, just put the lid back on.
Vinaigrette
-
Add mustard, lemon juice, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk together.
-
Next whisk in the champagne vinegar, then the pomegranate juice and slowly whisk in the olive oil.
-
Stir in the garlic and shallots.
Salad
-
Wash kale and tear off the main rib by holding the end of the stem and sliding off the leaves, wash, dry, then chop into thin strips
-
Put kale in a large bowl with olive oil and massage the oil I to the kale then add rice and dressing, mix together. (you can either completely cool the rice or add it in warm, I like it slightly warm)
-
Cut the stalks off of fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in half, then cut out the core.
-
Slice each half in half and then slice as thin as you can.
-
Add everything to the bowl and mix together.
-
Cut pomegranate, remove seeds and either mix into the salad or sprinkle on top of individual salads.
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 the 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 of 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.
