Back
Kale and Wild Rice Salad
4.9 from 96 votes

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Kale and Wild Rice Salad mixes softened kale with nutty wild rice, chopped apple, avocado, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and crumbled goat cheese. The salad is dressed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette sweetened with maple syrup and brightened with lemon, combining textures and flavors into a refreshing yet hearty salad.

Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Course: Side Dish, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, International, Canadian, Vegetarian, gluten-free

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SALAD:
  • 1 kale I like to use lacinato kale, large bunch
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 cup wild rice cooked
  • 1 apple chopped, large
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup almond toasted; slivered
  • 3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • For the Dressing;
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • salt dash
  • black pepper dash

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, add the kale, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Massage the kale with your hands until the kale softens, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked wild rice, apple, avocado, dried cranberries, almonds, and goat cheese. Gently toss.
  2. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, and mustard in a small bowl or jar. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
  3. Drizzle dressing over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately.
  4. Note-if you don't have wild rice, brown rice will work too. If you don't like goat cheese, feta cheese is also good. The salad is best the day it is made, but you can keep it in the refrigerator in a container for up to one day. I like the leftovers the next day.