Vegan Wild Rice Salad with Kale & Tahini Dressing
Have you met my all time favorite wild rice recipe? This nourishing, satisfying salad has chewy kale, nutty wild rice, roasted carrots, and chile-fried cashews all in a creamy tahini dressing.
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I originally published this recipe in 2022 and have since added more success tips.
Growing up in the Midwest meant wild rice recipes played a larger part in my diet than maybe someone who is a native Californian or Southerner.
My grandmother’s creamy wild rice soup was delicious, as was her Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. There was often wild rice stuffing at Thanksgiving and her wild rice pilaf recipe was the stuff of dreams. I loved it all.
Are you a fan? If so, you are going to love this recipe.
Typically wild rice is paired with heartier, creamier ingredients but this substantial salad is actually my favorite way of eating it. It starts with tender wild rice, toothsome kale, and sweet roasted carrots. All this gets tossed with a lemony tahini dressing and then topped with chile-fried cashews and dried cranberries.
The only thing is this is not a simple recipe. There are more steps than normal for a salad recipe. The first time you make it you might be wondering if it is worth it, but believe me, it is!
It is an awesome grain salad to serve as a vegan main course, with a bowl of my vegan butternut squash bisque or a perfect addition to your holiday table!
What is Wild Rice?
Before we dive too deep into the recipe, let’s take a closer look at this intensely flavored whole grain. Despite its name, wild rice is not actually related to rice at all. Like white rice and other types of rice it is an aquatic grass that is native to North America and grown mostly around the Great Lakes.
You can find it in the rice section of most grocery stores—even Trader Joe’s sells it. A lot of times it will be sold in a variety of wild rice blends where the wild rice is mixed with other grains. For this wild rice salad however, you want only wild rice, not a blend.
Wild rice is gluten-free.
Ingredients To Make This Wild Rice Recipe
- Garlic: To add bite to the dressing
- Tahini: A sesame paste used in many vegan recipes to make things creamy
- Olive oil, honey, lemon juice: To make a smooth and balanced dressing
- Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning
- Dried arbol chiles: Side note, the chiles don’t make the cashews crazy spicy, just add a tiny bit of heat
- Raw whole cashews: One of the best things about this salad are the chile-fried cashews
- Wild rice: Look for plain wild rice, not wild rice blend
- Carrots: or butternut squash or sweet potatoes would also be good
- Kale: The perfect hearty green to stand up to the other toppings
- Dried cranberries: Another great option could be pomegranate seeds
- Edible flowers: for garnish, optional
How To Make It (Step-by-Step Instructions)
See detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
step one
Make the dressing. The first step is to combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit more hot water if it is too thick. Taste and add more lemon juice, honey, or salt as needed. Dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
step two
Fry the cashews. Heat oil in a small frying pan and add the cashews and chiles. Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat, until the nuts are fragrant and starting to turn a darker shade of brown. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with salt, and let cool. Stir every once in a while as they cool to prevent from burning on the bottom of the pan. If they are getting too dark, remove from the pan to a plate.
step three
Cook wild rice. Pour 4-5 cups of water into a large pot. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add rice and simmer by reducing heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked, tender, but not falling apart or mushy. Drain the cooked rice.
step four
Roast the carrots. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss carrots in olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast until fork tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your carrots but should take somewhere between 20-30 minutes.
step five
Toss and serve. Place kale in a large bowl add dressing and even though it is messy, rub dressing into the kale, massaging it with your hands. This is the best way to soften it a bit and get it well coated. Add the wild rice and carrots and toss all together. Transfer to a platter or plates and top with the cashews and dried cranberries. Sprinkle edible flowers (if using) and a bit more salt over the top and serve.
Serving Suggestions
This wild rice recipe makes an excellent vegan main course dinner or lunch but you can also serve it as a side dish with:
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Porchetta-Style Pork Shoulder
- Double Pork-Pork Burgers
- French-Style Crockpot Chicken Fricassee
- Braised Chicken Puttanesca Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Moroccan Chickpea Stew
What Make This The Best Wild Rice Recipe?
- I will admit, this vegan wild rice recipe is kind of crazy involved for a salad but it is so worth it. I’ve made it at least 5 times and never regretted the time it takes to make it. If you are looking for a simpler salad, make a batch of my maple mustard dressing and serve or greens.
- The texture on this salad is incredible. It is chewy, crunchy, and tender all at once.
- This salad bridges the gap between the seasons. Roasted carrots and kale are decidedly wintery and the lemony tahini dressing beckons spring, perfect for the lesser salad seasons.
- It’s a great make-ahead dish too for picnics or holidays. It tastes just as good cold as it does at room temperature.
Wild Rice Recipe FAQ’s
Can I make the wild rice in the Instant Pot? Sure! Combine the 1 1/4 cups of wild rice with 1 3/4 cups water. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Let naturally release for at least 10 minutes.
More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love!
- The 10 Best Sweet Potato Recipes
- No-Knead Green Olive Bread
- The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipes
- How To Roast Brussels Sprouts
- How To Cook Broccolini
- Roasted Beet Salad with Green Olives & Almonds
- Easy Cornbread with Corn, Rosemary & Cheddar
Meet Your New Favorite Wild Rice Recipe
If you’ve never had wild rice before or have been less than impressed, you’ve got to give this wild rice recipe a try. It will be a game changer any day of the week. When you do, take a pic and let me know by tagging me on Instagram @katesbestrecipes so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !
Kale, Chile Cashew, and Wild Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
For the cashews:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 small dried chiles, such as arbol chiles
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt, for seasoning
For the salad:
- 8 ounces wild rice, rinsed (about 1 1/4 cups dry)
- 1 pound carrots (about 4 medium)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch kale stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Blend the dressing. Combine the 1/4 cup hot water, 1 clove garlic, 3 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a blender, puree together until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, or honey as needed. The dressing will be thick, that's okay.
- Fry the cashews. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 3 arbol chiles in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat. Once chiles start to sizzle, add 1/3 cup cashews and cook, stirring frequently until they are dark golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and let cool.
- Cook the wild rice. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add 8 ounces wild rice and simmer until tender, but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Drain.
- Roast the carrots. Heat oven to 425°F. Peel and trim the pound of carrots and cut each into 3 or 4 pieces. The large end pieces you can cut in half lengthwise. Place carrots on a baking sheet, drizzle with the tablespoon of oil and season with salt. Toss to coat in the oil and arrange in a single layer. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Toss with the dressing. Place kale, wild rice, and roasted carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat. Arrange on a platter and garnish with dried cranberries and chile cashews.
Notes
- Substitutions: Swap out dried cranberries with dried cherries or substitute carrots with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or even roasted beets.
- Dressing Consistency: The dressing will be thick, but that’s by design. Tossing it with the warm wild rice and kale will help it coat the salad evenly.
- Wild Rice: Don’t use wild rice blends or mix for this recipe. Look for plain dried wild rice. It can be found next to the other rice in the grocery store.
- Make-ahead: Fry the chile cashews ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Dressing can also be made a week in advance.
