Close up image of a bowl of Fall California Wild Rice Salad.

Fall California Wild Rice Salad

Enjoy all the tastes of fall in this hearty California wild rice salad! This is the perfect side dish for crisp autumn evenings and is great for meal prep with a side of protein.

This recipe features California-grown wild rice and comes to us from our friend Hannah of @theconsciousnutritionist in partnership with USA Rice and the California Wild Rice Advisory Board.

  • Servings
    2-3
  • Serving Size
    1 bowl

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1 cup California-grown wild rice
  • 2 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 apple, diced (choose a sweet variety like Fugi or Gala)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and black pepper to taste

For the Dressing

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

  • Rinse the wild rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water.
  • In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rinsed California-grown wild rice and 2 cups of water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45-55 minutes or until the wild rice is tender and has popped open. Drain any excess liquid.
  • While the rice is cooking, you optionally can toast the pecans and pumpkin seeds on the stove in a frying pan at a low heat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and drained wild rice, diced apple, toasted pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped celery, and chopped fresh parsley. Toss to combine.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until everything is well coated.
  • Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Chill the wild rice salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
    Before serving, give the salad another gentle toss to ensure the dressing is evenly distributed. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, if desired.