Kale, Chile Cashew, and Wild Rice Recipe
A flavorful, hearty side dish with chewy wild rice, dried cranberries, sweet roasted carrots, torn kale, and chile-fried cashews tossed in a honey-tahini dressing.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 157kcal
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon (plus more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 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 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, or honey as needed. The dressing may be a little 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. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if needed. 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.