wild rice salad

I made this with hand-harvested, wood-parched wild rice from Minnesota, an artisanal product if there ever was one. The flavor is nutty and mild and beyond delicious. I realize you may not find this kind of wild rice in your local store, but this recipe works with any wild rice (or even brown rice for that matter); just check the package for cooking times because naturally grown wild rice cooks faster than commercially grown.

ingredients

1 cup wild rice
4 cups water
salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce, optional
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup mild olive oil or vegetable oil
freshly ground pepper

directions

Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until water runs clear; shake sieve to get rid of excess water.

Bring the 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in the drained rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is just tender, 25 to 50 minutes, as per package directions. Drain cooked rice in a large sieve, then run cold water over it to cool it down. Shake sieve to get rid of excess water, then leave rice in sieve in the sink to drain while you make the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the green onions, celery, and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy (if using…it adds a nice salty balance), and mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil. Add the drained rice to the large bowl, then add the dressing and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

note: you can add diced red bell pepper, roasted cashews or other nuts, drained garbanzo beans, grated carrots…anything wholesome and crunchy…to this salad.