Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds makes the perfect vegan sweet-savory side! This lemony wild rice dish highlights toasted almonds, dried apricot and currant. Start by softening onion and garlic, then add lemon zest and juice. Measure in the rice, toast, then add vegetable stock and cook. Fluff, then stir in dried apricots, dried currants and toasted almonds. Enjoy at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, dinner parties and more! 

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I am a meat-and-potatoes kinda girl.

My husband is a meat-and-rice kinda guy.

Our differences are never so apparent than when we’re deciding what to serve with an entree, especially a holiday meal. I’ll pitch potatoes while Winston suggests rice.

These personal preferences always make me smile because I believe they go back to our families and where we were raised.

When I was growing up, my family paired mashed potatoes with everything.

Pot roast? Potatoes. Chicken? Potatoes. Fish? Potatoes.

Winston’s family, on the other hand, did that with rice. His great grandparents were rice farmers, so instead of serving potatoes, their former family crop is often highlighted. (I believe they have some sweet potato farmer blood, too, which explains their love for those.)

For Easter, we’re having both potatoes and rice; and today is all about this flavorful rice.

It’s a little fancier than a traditional rice salad, and I like that in an Easter (or holiday!) meal.

When I say fancy, I mean that the flavors are elevated. Fancy does not necessarily translate to complicated because this rice? Not complicated and full of flavor.

The addition of dried apricots and currants adds a certain je ne sais quoi. The lemon juice and zest adds brightness and tang. Then when the rice is all nice and fluffy, you toss in the toasted almonds, which add a crunch and beautiful toastiness.

Talking about this is making me hungry!

Erin’s Recommended Tools/Products for Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds

• Essentials: 10” Everyday Pan with Cover.
• Get the look: Corningware CW Color 4-piece set. Evergreen Turquoise Plaid Yarndye Kitchen Textiles Napkins. Oneida Countess Servingware.

So who’s ready for a big ‘ol serving of this rice salad?

Here’s how you can make your own:

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds makes the perfect vegan sweet-savory side! This lemony wild rice dish highlights toasted almonds, dried apricot and currant. Start by softening onion and garlic, then add lemon zest and juice. Measure in the rice, toast, then add vegetable stock and cook. Fluff, then stir in dried apricots, dried currants and toasted almonds. Enjoy at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, dinner parties and more!

4.43 from 14 votes

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Servings 4 servings

Calories 214 kcal

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup diced dried apricots
• ¼ cup currants
• ¼ cup toasted almond slivers

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Instructions

 

• In an everyday pan (or a skillet that has a lid) over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
• When the oil shimmers, add the diced onion.
• Move around the pan and cook until translucent, then add the garlic.
• When the garlic becomes fragrant after about 1-2 minutes, add the lemon zest and lemon juice, then the rice.
• Stir the ingredients together, allowing the rice time to toast slightly, before adding the vegetable stock.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until all the liquid has been soaked into the rice. Be sure to leave the skillet covered, so the heat won’t be lost. (If you’re uncertain if the liquid has soaked completely into the rice, lift off the heat and tilt to the side. If there is moisture remaining in the pan, you’ll be able to see it through the lid and cook for longer.)
• Once the rice has cooked through, toss in the apricots, currants and almond slivers.
• Using a fork, fluff the rice.
• Serve warm and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Can substitute chicken stock in place of vegetable stock if not serving vegetarians.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 298mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18g

Keyword Christmas recipe, easter, easter rice, festive rice, rice with almonds, rice with fruit, side dish, Thanksgiving recipe, wild rice, wild rice recipe

Course Side Dishes

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Rice or potatoes?

Would you ever try a sweeter rice dish like this one?