This recipe is the creation of Shiloh Maples (Odawa and Ojibwe). She is an educator, community organizer, and consultant focusing on food systems. She shared this amazing recipe with me back in 2019 when I was working on a food and travel show that did a segment on wild rice. It's been a favorite of my family ever since.
Wild rice comes from a native cereal grass that can be found around the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada. It has been a staple food of the indigenous peoples of that region and has also been in the commercial market for decades. While it may be hard to find in your local grocery stores, wild rice is easy to find online. Here are 2 sources that we featured in our wild rice mini documentary: Spirit Lake Native Farms, Canoe
Wild rice is something I keep in the pantry for several reasons. The obvious reason is that it's a North American native wild food, and that fact alone makes me want to eat it. But that wildness doesn't make it any less palatable. In fact, it has a delicious chew to it and a taste that is more complex and nutty than other "rice" types. It also has twice the protein of brown rice, and I do find that it keeps me much more sated than other grains. That is a huge plus for someone like me who doesn't eat a lot of meat. Even the leftover cooking liquid is like a hearty, umami broth. There are so many ways to use wild rice and its broth in the kitchen (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner too!), but this cold salad is my go-to.
Shiloh's recipe is simple to make and highlights some of the best parts of autumnally based flavors: wild rice, apples, maple syrup, and berry jam. These are elements of her traditional food culture, too. While you can purchase these ingredients in the store, it could be very gratifying to use apples you've picked yourself, or syrup you've tapped (black walnut for us southerners), or a wild berry jam you made in summer. Or support local food producers and buy these ingredients directly from them.
Wild Rice Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups cooked wild rice*
- 1 small sweet onion, small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 small green apple, small dice
- Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a large serving bowl add the cooked wild rice, diced sweet onion, diced red bell pepper, and diced green apple.
- In another bowl, add all of the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk well to combine.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the wild rice medley. Gently mix to evenly distribute everything.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. Will keep for several days.
*Follow package directions when cooking wild rice. Generally, 1 cup of wild rice boiled in 3 cups of water will makes approx. 3 cups of cooked wild rice.