Cooking with organic and gluten-free ingredients do not have to be expensive. With increasing demands of organic and gluten-free foods, these items are now available at local grocery stores and have become more affordable than shopping at specialty food stores. As someone who likes to try new foods with health benefits and flavors, I made wild rice salad with roasted vegetables one day and shared it with my family and they loved the flavors! I’ve come to enjoy whole grain wild rice more now than I ever did before. It’s gluten-free, provides a good source of fiber and protein for a balanced nutrition. The other superfood ingredient used in this dish is turmeric. This spice, commonly used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines, is used for cooking to entice the senses and make food more palatable. Turmeric can be found fresh in a root form similar to ginger root or in dry powder. Turmeric has a special chemical compound called curcuminoids, which is a powerful antioxidant. The supplement called curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties that are good for our body, especially living with inflammatory arthritis. In this hearty wild rice salad, turmeric is used in the roasted vegetables. This dish costs about $18.00 to make ($3.00 per serving) and uses most pantry ingredients that you may already have. This wild rice salad is great for fall season because it calls for butternut squash and cauliflower. I love the nutty flavor of wild rice and pairs well with the roasted vegetables and fresh organic baby greens. Best of all, this salad is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, hearty, and has a comforting feel to it. It can be served as a side dish with your favorite meat, poultry, fish, or simply eaten as a main course. Enjoy!
Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Baby Greens
Ingredients
- 8 oz bag of Organic Whole Grain Wild Rice
- 2 1/4 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 16 oz bag of pre-cut Organic Butternut Squash
- 10 oz bag of pre-cut Organic Cauliflower Florets
- 3 cups Organic Baby Kale & Spinach Blend (from an 8 oz. bag of salad greens)
- 2/3 cups Dried Cranberries
- 3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Organic Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 3 Tbsp Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Raw, Unfiltered Honey
- 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon (or 2-3 toothpick swirls of doTERRA Cinnamon Bark essential oil)
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
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Follow the cooking instructions for the wild rice according to the package and use 2 1/4 cups of vegetable broth instead of water. The vegetable broth will give the wild rice added flavor. Rice cooking time is between 45-50 minutes until rice is tender.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the rice is cooking, prepare the olive oil mixture and roasting vegetables. Using a liquid measuring cup, mix the olive oil with turmeric, salt and black pepper until incorporated. In a baking sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, arrange the butternut squash and cauliflower florets evenly. Then pour the olive oil mixture all over the vegetables. Toss to coat evenly and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk until blended. Set aside.
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When the wild rice and roasted vegetables are done and have cooled slightly, transfer to a large serving bowl, add the mixed baby greens and pour the entire vinaigrette to the rice mixture. Then gently toss until rice and vegetables are evenly coated.
