Name: Apple and Wild Rice Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon honey; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 3 cups cooked wild rice; ½ cup diced celery; 1 red apple, seeded and diced; ½ cup frozen peas, thawed; ½ small red onion, diced; ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions; ½ cup chopped pecans

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This Apple and Wild Rice Salad is an easy and scrumptious make ahead fall side dish that tastes like Thanksgiving. Apples, pecans, wild rice, celery, onion and peas are combined and covered with a delicious dressing for a tasty autumn salad your whole family will love.

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Why I love this recipe

I love fall because I love all things apple. Apple desserts, apple ciders, and especially salads with apples. This fall apple salad combines apples, pecans, wild rice, celery, onion and peas for a flavour combination that is simply delicious, filling and nutritious. Serve this salad at Thanksgiving, or add a few dried cranberries and serve it at Christmas – your whole family will love it!

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Ingredients you’ll need for an Autumn Salad

To make this delicious salad for Thanksgiving you’re going to need the following ingredients:

Cooked wild rice
Diced celery
Red apples (I prefer Gala or Honey Crisp apples)
Frozen peas
Red onion, diced
Green onions
Chopped pecans
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
Honey

For the full list of ingredients, and the printable recipe, be sure to check out the recipe card below.

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How to make this wild rice salad

This salad is so easy to make! It comes together in 4 easy steps:

Step1 – Mix: In a large bowl, mix all of the salad ingredients until well combined.

Step 2 – Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, mix the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk or shake to combine.

Step 3 – Pour: Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to evenly distribute the dressing.

Step 4 – Cool: Cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature.

Make this Fall Apple and Wild Rice Salad, then check out my Roasted Butternut Squash Salad , Healthy Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing, and Butternut Squash Soup, and more of my fall salad recipes.

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Wild Rice Cooking Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Read on for wild rice cooking tips and how to avoid making it a disaster.

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Do I need to soak wild rice before cooking it?

In general, soaked wild rice cooks 50% faster. However, you can make wild rice without soaking as well. It will just take longer to cook. Either way, I highly recommend giving it a good wash before cooking.

If you decide to soak your wild rice, I recommend placing it in a bowl and filling it up with water enough to cover it and letting it sit on the kitchen counter for no more than 2-3 hours.

If you let it soak longer, the wild rice will burst open before cooking.

How much uncooked wild rice do I need?

1 cup of uncooked wild rice yields 3 ½ cups of cooked wild rice.

What is the water to wild rice ratio for this recipe?

How much uncooked wild rice you need for this recipe depends on your cooking method. I personally prefer to use a rice cooker, but wild rice can also be cooked either in a microwave or on a cooktop.

Stovetop Method: The ratio of liquid to wild rice for cooking it on the stove top is 3 to 1 for cooking it on the stove top. 1 cup of uncooked wild rice yields 3 ½ cups of cooked wild rice.
Rice Cooker Method: 1 cup wild rice to 2 cups of liquid
Microwave: 1 cup wild rice to 3 cups of liquid
Instant Pot Method: 1 cup wild rice to 1 ⅓ cups of liquid.

Here are the steps for cooking wild rice in a rice cooker:

Rub the rice cooker insert with a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil.
Add 1 cup of wild rice, 2 cups of water, and a ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Give it a stir.
Select the brown rice (or white rice) option and let it cook. During my testings, it took about 45-55 minutes for wild rice to cook in a rice cooker.
When the cooking cycle is completed, let it rest for 10 minutes and fluff it with a fork before serving.

How to store

Unfortunately the apples in this autumn salad don’t keep for very long. Store this salad in an air-tight container such as a mason jar for up to two days in the refrigerator.

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Other apple recipes to try

10 Minute Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip – is the perfect fall snack, appetizer or dessert for any occasion! Cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel, Skor chocolate bars and apples.
Easy Instant Pot Apple Crisp – Sweet slightly spiced apples topped with an amazing crumble – just like your mom always made, but in a fraction of the time thanks to the Instant Pot!
Meal Prep Apple Pie Overnight Oats – 5-Ingredient Apple Pie Overnight Oats are great for quick and busy mornings or even for camping! They take 5 minutes of meal prep the night before and are so delicious! Bonus for being Vegan and Gluten free!
Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins – the perfect way to start the day. They are a quick, grab and go breakfast recipe for busy weekday mornings but tasty enough as part of a weekend brunch. These paleo apple cinnamon muffins are sure to be a big hit!

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If you’re looking for an easy spring salad then look no further because I’ve got a DELICIOUS salad for you!

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Peanut Dressing

Looking for a delicious and healthy meal that’s easy to prepare? Try this Buddha Bowl with Peanut Dressing recipe! This colorful and flavorful bowl is packed with fresh veggies, and a creamy, nutty peanut dressing that will have you licking your plate clean.

MAKE THIS RECIPE → Vegan Buddha Bowl with Peanut Dressing

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