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This is a wonderful make ahead vegetarian or vegan salad, perfect for the fall and winter months. Yes, it’s a perfect addition to a holiday table, but it’s also lovely for a family dinner or a casual entertaining menu. So many gorgeous colors and textures in every forkful. It could also be a main course for vegetarians/vegans.
And it’s make ahead! You can make the dressing, the wild rice, and the sweet potatoes ahead of time. You can also chop up the other ingredients. Keep everything separate in containers in the fridge, then combine them shortly before serving. Or assemble the while salad and hold it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. Think about bringing this to a potluck, or maybe even a fall picnic.
Also think about Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries!
This salad is naturally vegan if you make the rice with vegetable broth and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Ingredients in Vegan Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
Sweet potatoes – the soft texture and earthy flavor of sweet potatoes give this salad wonderful substance and flavor. Since the potatoes are roasted first with a touch of olive oil, they get lightly caramelized on the outside, emphasizing the natural sweetness of the potatoes. There are lots of sweet potatoes to choose from – play around with different varieties!
Wild rice – wild rice is such a wonderful grass (technically a grass!) and has such a great holiday vibe to it. Here’s more on how to perfectly cook wild rice!
Vegetable broth – if you use vegetable broth instead of water to cook the rice you will be rewarded with a deeper flavor in the grain and the salad all around. Use less sodium broth so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Red bell pepper – adds color and crunch
Red onion and scallions – more color, more crunch, and a spicy bite
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley – add color and herby freshness
Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad: So many gorgeous colors and textures in every forkful! Perfect for the holidays.
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Wild Rice Salad Dressing:
This is a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, orange juice and zest, honey or maple syrup (use maple syrup for a vegan wild rice salad), garlic and salt and pepper.
What to Serve with Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
- Cajun Roast Turkey
- Orange Roast Chicken
- Thanksgiving Salad
- Tomato Orzo and Dill Soup
- Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
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Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes , peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 cups water or broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 red bell pepper , cored, seeded and diced
- 1 red onion , diced
- 4 scallions , trimmed and sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Finely grated zest and juice of orange juice
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment if you like, and spray with nonstick spray.
- Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle over the oil, then sprinkle over the salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes so that they are nicely coated with the oil, spread them out in a single layer, and then place in the oven and roast for about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the wild rice: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer.
- Place the rice and water or broth in a saucepan with a lid. If the broth is salty enough, you don’t need to add additional salt. If you are using water or less-sodium broth, you may want to add some salt to the liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 35 to 50 minutes until the rice is tender and some of the grains have burst open. Drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cool water to bring it to room temperature.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl or container combine the oil, white wine vinegar, orange juice and zest, honey or maple syrup, garlic and salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl combine the sweet potatoes, wild rice, red pepper, onion, scallion and parsley. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
