It’s nice to have a few salad recipes that can serve as main dishes, and the rice in this one makes it especially filling. A big forkful of tender leaves with little piles of rice, sweet dates and crunchy nuts made the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
This was a tough recipe to name. I thought about calling it a wild rice, chickpea, date, cashew, celery and mixed-greens salad, but decided that something simpler might be best. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in this salad — and it’s all good.
I’ve had rice salads (no lettuce) that include fruit and nuts, which prompted me to add dates — a nice, meaty alternative to dried cranberries or raisins — and cashews, which are smooth and buttery, and blend well with the other ingredients. And as for the chickpeas, I just wanted more protein, and they fit in without taking over. There’s also some chopped celery in there for a fresh crunch.
The dressing is simple: basic balsamic vinaigrette with brown sugar. I like sweet dressings, and the brown sugar highlighted the dates. But you could certainly use a citrus vinaigrette. For other interpretations, play around with different combinations of nuts and fruit, or add bacon. For nonvegetarians, I think bacon would taste amazing in here. I used wild rice, but brown rice is a great alternative. And any type of whole grain would do.
I first made this in a family member’s kitchen that lacked some basic measuring cups, so some of my original measurements were approximate. But this isn’t a recipe that calls for exact science. Experiment!
Wild Rice and Mixed Greens Salad
Serves 4 to 6 as a main course
For the salad:
1 cup wild rice
4 cups water
Salt
5 ounces mixed or baby greens (about 6 big handfuls), washed and dried
1 15 1/2 -ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 dried dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup roasted cashews
2 large celery ribs, chopped
For the vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
Combine the wild rice with the water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until the rice is tender. Pour the rice into a strainer to drain off any remaining water; then cool the rice completely.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking, until the dressing is slightly thick and all the olive oil is incorporated.
To assemble the salad, add the greens to the bowl, and toss to coat. Then add the chickpeas, dates, cashews, celery and rice. Toss gently until all the ingredients are combined. Serve immediately.
Kelli Dunn is a writer for The
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