A Briny, Bright Wild Rice Salad
Perfect at any temperature, with full-on summer flavor and a marvelous grassy grain
I hope everyone is finding ways to stay cool. Here in New York, fruit flies have descended and the vibe can only be described “soupy.” Just this morning (Friday) I trekked through the rain to get to the Union Square Farmers’ Market as they were opening. I hoped the rain would provide some humidity release (it did not), but I was so glad to have ventured over anyway. It was a reminder that all that good stuff that’s starting to appear — tomatoes, cucumbers, melons — needs this heat.
(Also, the best time for shopping at farmers’ markets is when the weather is suboptimal. Go on a rainy day! There’ll be no crowds, the farmers need shoppers more than ever, and you’ll be sure to find your people — if, that is, your kind of people are me.)
Over the past couple weeks I’ve been craving rice, brainstorming a rice salad that can be served at room temperature or cold. Because the most common types of rice change texture so much as they cool, becoming hard or oily or otherwise unpleasant, my mind wandered to wild rice.
You probably know already that wild rice isn’t rice at all, but a semi-aquatic type of grass grown in marches, and one of the two commonly eaten grains native to North America (the other one is corn). It has such a specific nutty, and even smoky, flavor, and as it’s cooking, there will be no doubt of its “grass” status, because the aroma is very specific.
I don’t eat as much wild rice as I should. I’ve harbored this idea that it takes forever to cook — it actually can be made easily in the rice cooker and takes about as long as brown rice does. But it’s also more scarce and a little harder to find, due to lower yields and much less commercial production. In Minnesota, where it’s the state grain and goes back thousands of years as an important crop for the Anishinaabeg and other Native American tribes, the state mandates that wild rice only be grown and harvested traditionally, meaning in natural (rather than man-made) marshes and by hand (you’ll see Minnesota wild rice marked as “hand-harvested”).
Nutritionally, wild rice is also higher in protein than white rice and most other grains, as well as high in fiber and rich in antioxidants. So it’s a really good one to be eating!
(I found a bunch of interesting information about wild rice in this article from the Whole Grains Council.)
For this salad, I was craving big flavors. It combines charred scallions (a powerhouse ingredient in plant-based cooking) with green olives, which also get a little bit of a char, plus a summery blast of basil, almonds, and cherry tomatoes. I’ve been eating it for lunch and dinner — it’s quite substantial enough on its own, or an easy bed for your favorite protein (tofu, beans, even a slab of feta).
Recipe Video
Briny Wild Rice Salad with Charred Scallions & Tomatoes
Wild rice can be made in a rice cooker, using the proportions and settings for brown rice. Or to make it on the stovetop, cook it like pasta in a medium saucepan full of simmering water, for 30 to 50 minutes, until the grains burst and are tender.
This is a pretty hearty salad, but you can amp it up with cubed tofu, beans, or any other protein you like.
One way to speed things up is to use pre-cooked wild rice from a pouch (such as this). Barley or farro would make a good substitute for the rice, too, or a wild rice medley.
Yield 4 to 6 servings | Prep & cook time 30 to 60 minutes
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
Olive oil
Scant ½ cup pitted green olives, blotted dry and cut or torn in half
2 cups cooked wild rice (from ¾ cup dry)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small or 1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced thickly on the bias
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ large lemon)
½ cup basil leaves, torn if large
½ cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds
Dressing
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from ½ large lemon)
1 tablespoon white wine or rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons runny honey
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1. Cut the scallions in half widthwise, where the thick white part transitions into the flimsy dark green part. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and once it’s hot, swirl in a splash of olive oil and arrange the scallions in the pan in an even layer. Set a second skillet on top to weigh them down (lining the base first with a piece of foil, if you like), and cook until they’re well seared on the bottoms, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them over and repeat, until well charred and very tender. Move them to a cutting board to cool. Return the pan to the heat and add the olives. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize slightly, 3 or 4 minutes, then put them in a mixing bowl. Coarsely chop the charred scallions and add them with the olives.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt together. Let that marinate for about 10 minutes.
3. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar or small bowl, and shake or whisk until combined.
4. Add the rice, tomatoes and cucumbers (and their juices), and dressing to the mixing bowl and toss to combine. Taste for salt — sometimes this salad needs a few healthy pinches more, but it depends on the type of olives you use. Just before serving, add the almonds and basil.
