Wild Rice Salad with Apple and Pomegranate is an easy to make salad with fabulous flavors. It also contains pine nuts, dates, and a tangy dressing. Enjoy it for lunch or serve it as a side during the holidays.
I love salads containing fruit.
Some of my favorites are Waldorf Salad, Tropical Chickpea Salad, and Mexican Christmas Eve Salad.
In this Wild Rice Salad, fresh fruit compliments the nutty flavor of the wild rice.
You may be thinking you want to try this Wild Rice Salad with Apple and Pomegranate, but wild rice is too expensive. But is it really?
One cup of dry wild rice makes 3-4 cups when cooked.
So a little really goes a long way!
I only used one cup for this Wild Rice Salad which serves 6.
And if you can’t find it at reasonable price, you can use a wild rice blend in this recipe instead.
When preparing wild rice, you can follow the package directions and make it on the stove.
Generally 3 cups of water are added, which gives you an idea of why it expands so much when cooked.
However, you can also make it in your Instant Pot, which is my preferred method.
All you need to do is add 2 1/2 cups water to the 1 cup wild rice and set the timer for 25 minutes.
Allow the pressure to come down naturally.
If there is any extra water left in the pot, simply pour it off.
I find my wild rice cooked perfectly every time.
Wild rice isn’t actually rice at all.
In fact, it’s classified as a grass.
And it turns out to be more nutritious than white rice: wild rice contains fewer calories, more protein, and more fiber.
In addition, it’s high in magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6.
You can learn more about it in this Wild Rice Nutrition Review.
And since it’s really delicious, why not make it part of your regular diet?
One of my favorite ways to use it is in Vegan Wild Rice Soup.
And of course I love this Wild Rice Salad.
It’s perfect as part of a holiday meal.
In fact, Wild Rice Salad goes great with favorites such as Lentil Meatloaf Muffins, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Sauteed Fresh Green Beans with Mushrooms.
Check out the quick video to see how easy it is to make Wild Rice Salad with Apple and Pomegranate!
Wild Rice Salad with Apple and Pomegranate
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 large apple diced
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup Medjool dates (about 3) pitted and chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or any lemon juice)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the wild rice according to the package directions. Or to make in an Instant Pot, combine the wild rice with 2 1/2 cups water. Set the timer for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Drain off any water that wasn't absorbed.Let the rice cool until you're ready to make the salad.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled wild rice with all the other ingredients. Toss until well combined.
- Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve. Or if preferred, let the salad come to room temperature before serving.
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! I’d love to see it on the Thanksgiving table this year.
Amy
Thanks Becky! I’ll be serving it at Thanksgiving for sure!
Dianne
This would such a good addition to the Thanksgiving table!
Amy
Thanks Dianne! I’ll be serving it for sure.
Jennifer Bliss
LOVING his combo of flavors, textures, nutrition, and color! I keep forgetting to tell you that I have re-done my sidebar and blogroll…I hope to be over reading and commenting more often again!
Amy
Thanks Jennifer!
Randi Tisdall
I love wild rice, but I’ve never tried it with pomegranates!! Sounds so delish and perfect as a Thanksgiving side- thanks for sharing!
Amy
Thanks Randi! I love the combination.
Leslie
I made it with a green apple! It’s so pretty and tastes delicious. I’ll post my dinner picture to IG tonight. We are having Gardein cutlets and mashed potatoes too.
Amy
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Leslie!
kelly
Great timing, Amy! We are having our staff Thanksgiving potluck. Now I know what I am bringing! Thank you!
Question: You say you can prep this a few days ahead. Won’t the apples turn brown– or does the acv keep the apples from turning brown?
Amy
I think everyone will enjoy it, Kelly! When I made it a day ahead, my apples stayed nice. And the leftovers the following day were fine, too.
Mel | avirtualvegan.com
Such lovely flavours and textures and perfect for entertaining and just regular lunches. I love using wild rice. It’s so much more interesting than regular rice.
Amy
Thanks Mel! I agree, it’s a nice change from regular rice.
Stephanie
Yaaass pomegranate! Sooo yummy. I’m just getting into wild rice too, can’t wait to try this one!
Amy
Thanks Stephanie! I love pomegranate, too!
Kate
This salad looks like a perfect side for Thanksgiving. I love all of these ingredients. Can’t wait to try it!
Amy
Thank you, Kate! I’m definitely serving it on Thanksgiving!
Mari
Oh, I love wild rice! And you made it so deliciously colourful and inviting to be made asap!
Amy
Thanks so much, Mari!
Daniela
Thank you! That looks delicious! Two things though, you forgot persimmons! They’d be perfect in this recipe! And the other thing is the wild rice at trader Joe’s is the cheapest I found everywhere! Thanks again for a great recipe!
Amy
Persimmons are great, too! And yes, I frequently buy wild rice at TJ’s. 🙂
Daniela
I made it this evening , adding persimmons, replacing dates with raisins and pine nuts with pecans, and making the dressing tahini based. We liked it so much we had 3 servings! Thank you for the recipe!
Amy
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Daniela!
Irene Ecklund
I plan to use black rice with this recipe. I hope that will work. Love the recipe and will make it for day after thanksgiving I think…Thanks for recipe!!!
Amy
I’m sure black rice would be wonderful, too! Let me know how it turns out!
Mary
saw this on the front of your site, love pomegranate for the tartness but also for the anti-oxidants, thank you for this wonderful salad recipe