Wild Rice Salad

Delicious rice salad with wild rice and basmati rice, green onions, celery, peas, dried cranberries, pine nuts, in a sesame vinegar and oil dressing.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated January 23, 2023
Elise Bauer
Wild Rice Salad
Elise Bauer

Looking for a great summer picnic salad to take to your next potluck? This wild rice salad is a winner!

It is a combo of wild rice and white rice, cooked in stock and tossed with celery, toasted pine nuts, peas, dried cranberries, and a sesame oil-infused vinaigrette.

The recipe makes a lot! It also holds up well to sitting around, so it's a perfect salad to bring to a summer BBQ.

Wild Rice Salad in a bowl.
Elise Bauer

Don't know about you, but I love rice salads. If you have a favorite one, please let us know about it in the comments.

Wild Rice Salad

Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings

Pre the celery and onions while the rice cooks to save time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wild rice

  • 1 cup basmati or long grain rice

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 4 stalks celery, sliced (about 2 cups)

  • 8 green onions, sliced (about 1 cup)

  • 2 cups thawed frozen peas

  • 1/2 cup pine nuts

  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

Method

  1. Cook the rice:

    Put the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan. Add the wild rice and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover. Let cook for 25 minutes.

    After 25 minutes, sprinkle in the basmati or long grain rice. Return to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for an additional 15 -20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. (If there is still liquid in the pot, uncover the pot and boil it off.)

    Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

    Fluff with a fork. Spread the rice out on a large sheet pan to cool quickly.

  2. Toast the pine nuts:

    Heat a small skillet on medium high heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove pine nuts from pan and let cool.

  3. Make the dressing:

    Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

  4. Toss rice with salad ingredients and dressing:

    In a large bowl gently mix together the cooled cooked rice, chopped celery, green onions, peas, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

    Chill completely before serving.

Wild Rice Salad
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
14g Fat
29g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 209mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 6mg 30%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 286mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.