Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad

Wild rice salad with roasted butternut, cranberries, and pecans arranged in a bowl.

Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad

A hearty Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad with roasted squash, pecans, cranberries, and a zesty orange-ginger dressing. A filling side dish that is great for entertaining.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings serves

Calories 289kcal

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice uncooked / 160g
3 ½ cups vegetable broth 825ml
600 g butternut squash small, peeled and cubed (3 cups cubed)
3 tbsps olive oil divided / 45ml
70 g shallots medium, peeled and sliced
1 cup pecans chopped and toasted / 120g
¾ cup dried cranberries 115g
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves chopped, 7g
3 tbsp fresh orange juice 45ml
2 tsp orange zest 4g
1 tbsp fresh ginger minced / 20g
1 tsp dijon mustard 5g
½ tsp salt 3g

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200 C. Line a baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil.
Rinse the wild rice.
Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed, about forty (40) minutes. Rice should be chewy but not hard, and still holding its shape. Allow to cool slightly before assembling salad.
Peel and scoop the seeds out of the butternut. Cut it into 1"/2.5cm chunks.
Place the butternut cubes on the baking pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp/15ml olive oil.
Roast for twenty (20) minutes, until soft enough to pierce with a fork.
While everything is cooking, prepare the dressing:
Peel and thinly slice (1/8"/3mm or less) the shallots into rounds. Peel and mince the ginger. Wash, dry, and chopped the parsley.
In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, orange zest, ginger, 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil, mustard, and salt. Whisk to blend.
Add the shallots and parsley. Toss gently.
Once wild rice and butternut are slightly cool, add to the dressing and toss to coat.
Add the toasted pecans and cranberries and toss.
Can be served warm (not hot) or cold. Will store for up to two (2) days in the fridge. Rice will absorb more dressing as it sits.

Notes

Texture/taste Notes: Wild rice salad with roasted butternut squash, toasted pecans, and cranberries all tossed in a tangy orange and ginger dressing. A flavour packed grain salad that's great as a gluten free alternative to stuffing/dressing. Chewy wild rice with plenty of nutrients and fiber pairs with sweet, roasted butternut for a hearty side dish that can be served warm or cold.

Broth: Cooking the rice in broth gives it more flavour. If you don't have broth or want less intensity, cook rice in an equivalent amount of water and add ½ tsp/3g salt.

Nutrition