^[1]

^[2]My mom made this salad this summer while I was visiting. It was so unique and delicious I knew I had to share it with you. When I got home, I made a few changes to the recipe, and made it myself. My husband liked it, but the kids weren’t too crazy about it. Actually, they wouldn’t even try it. But let’s face it, this wasn’t meant to be a kid-friendly recipe. Too many strong and wonderful flavors.

It makes a large bowl, so it’s great to take to potlucks, parties, or family gatherings. Or, you can do what I did and just keep it in the refrigerator for quick, but filling lunches.

Wild Rice Salad with Parmesan Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 Cup dry wild rice (plus 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base, or follow directions on the package)
12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts (Reserve marinade to use in dressing.)
10 oz. bag of frozen peas
1 green pepper, diced
9 green onions, sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Cup toasted pine nuts

Parmesan Dressing:
1-1/3 Cup olive oil (Use artichoke marinade to make up the total amount.)
1/2 Cup cider vinegar
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Darker and longer grain wild rice requires longer cooking. Here’s what I did with a very dark, long grain rice: Rinse and drain the rice, then place in a medium pot with 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Then remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water.
2. While the rice is cooling, prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together. I start with the marinade/oil from the artichokes, which is usually about a cup, and then add an additional 1/3 cup olive oil. Then I whisk in the remaining ingredients.
3. Now prepare the other salad ingredients. Chop the artichoke hearts into large chunks, or bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onions, and dice the green pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine the rice, artichoke hearts, peas, green onions, and green pepper. Pour in about 1/2 of the dressing and stir gently.
5. Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours, or even overnight.
6. When ready to serve, stir in the halved grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. At this point, you can add more dressing to the salad, or let each person add some to their own serving.

Additional Notes:

• I didn’t actually measure it out, but I would guess that it makes about 12 servings, depending on serving size.
• For toasting pine nuts: I like to toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-heat heat. Keep the pine nuts in a single layer and stir frequently. When the nuts start to turn golden brown, stir constantly. Watch carefully, because they can burn quickly. Remove from heat when all are toasted.
• Do pine nuts leave a bitter taste ^[3] in your mouth? Leave them out, or try toasted almond slivers or sunflower seeds instead.

Notable Links:

• Don’t have any wild rice? Try The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Brown Rice Salad recipe ^[4]. You’ll also find it listed along with other gluten-free recipes at this week’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays ^[5].
• For more healthy recipes, visit Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free ^[6], where Amy is celebrating the one year anniversary of this wonderful weekly event.