This Wild Rice Salad is on my list of Top 5 Favorite Salads of all time. It has incredible flavors and textures, and also keeps really well in the fridge for healthy eating at a moment’s notice.

If you’re striving to eat healthier but still want to eat wildly delicious food, try this salad. Seriously, it’s so delicious.

Wild Rice Salad - In Bowl with Carrots and Pistachios

The magnificence of this salad is the precise combination of ingredients.

I’ve tested many variations, trying dried cherries in place of raisins, swapping the carrots for parsnips for a more spiced flavor, subbing baby spinach for the arugula, but nothing comes close to the magic of this combination.

It is one of our “regulars” and if you don’t usually find yourself cooking with wild rice, you may just fall in love with its heartiness and flavor here.

How to Make Wild Rice Salad:

The first thing you want to do is get some carrots roasting. Peel whole carrots, then cut into 1/2″ thick slices:

Cutting Carrots Into Disks

It doesn’t matter if the discs are different sizes, they just need to be the same thickness.

Place the carrot slices in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, cinnamon, cloves, paprika, and cumin:

Carrot Coins with Oil and Spices Added

I love this spice blend with carrots, and I use the same flavors with my Carrot Raisin Salad.

Roast the carrots in the oven until tender:

Roasted Carrots in Sheet Pan with Spices

How to Make Wild Rice:

You’ll also want to get the wild rice cooking, and I like to use either a rice cooker or the Instant Pot (affiliate).

Wild Rice - Cooked in a Rice Cooker

Using the rice cooker is as simple as combining rinsed wild rice and water and turning the machine on (I have success using both the brown rice and white rice setting). It’s comparably similar with the Instant Pot.

However, you can also simply use a saucepan with a lid if that’s what you have.

While the carrots and wild rice are both cooking, toast shelled pistachios in olive oil for a few minutes:

Toasted Pistachios in a Skillet

Then add raisins, and toss it together.

Raisins Added to Pistachios In Skillet

This helps plump the raisins slightly.

To bring it all together, combine the roasted carrots, cooked wild rice, pistachios, and raisins in a big bowl:

Cold Wild Rice Salad - In a Bowl with Pistachios, Raisins, and Carrots

Add fresh arugula and lemon vinaigrette:

Pouring Lemon Vinaigrette Over Arugula

The lemon vinaigrette recipe is easy to make, and so flavorful. I don’t recommend substituting a storebought dressing, as it just won’t compare!

Toss everything together to distribute the ingredients:

Arugula Tossed with Carrots, Wild Rice, and Raisins

Taste a little bit and see if it needs any more seasoning. Sometimes I add a small pinch of salt, and toss again.

Wild Rice Salad Recipe - Presented in Wooden Decorated Bowl

This salad is best eaten right away, however it stores surprisingly well in the fridge for up to 2 days.

The arugula wilts slightly, but still has decent texture.

Steak Salad, Cobb Salad, and Kale Salad are some of my other favorite lettuce-based salad recipes. Enjoy!

Wild Rice Salad In Bowl with Carrots and Pistachios

Wild Rice Salad

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
This Wild Rice Salad is hearty, healthy and delicious, keeps well in the fridge for healthy eating at a moment's notice.
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Ingredients

For the Roasted Carrots:

  • 1 lb carrots
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin

For the Wild Rice Salad:

  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2/3 cup shelled salted pistachios
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 5 oz baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Slice the carrots 1/2" thick, and toss in a bowl with the salt, olive oil, cinnamon, paprika, cloves, and cumin.
  • Spread the carrots out onto the parchment lined sheet pan, scraping any oil from the bowl on to the pan. 
  • Roast for 25 minutes, then toss and roast for another 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
  • Next cook the wild rice with the salt per package directions. You typically need 2.33 cups of water for every cup of wild rice. I prefer to cook mine in a rice cooker, but you can also cook it in a saucepan or Instant Pot.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat, then add the pistachios. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the nuts. Then add the raisins, stir to combine, and remove from the heat.
  • To bring everything together, toss to combine the cooked wild rice, roasted carrots, pistachios, raisins, arugula, and lemon vinaigrette. Taste and see if it needs another pinch of salt or any other seasonings.
  • The salad is best while the rice is still warm, but leftovers keep nicely in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 452mg, Potassium: 682mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 13330IU, Vitamin C: 9.4mg, Calcium: 88mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug