I love to grow arugula in my garden, but the homegrown arugula is much stronger in flavor than the baby arugula you get from the store. I started making this arugula wild rice salad to tame those strong garden fresh flavors!
The wild rice helps to subdue the peppery arugula by bulking up the salad with a mild earthy flavor (which pairs quite nicely). I also add cranberries for sweetness, pecans for crunch and protein, and feta for a salty bite.
The red wine vinaigrette is my one of my all-time favorite dressings. I make it strong with garlic and vinegar. You should make it according to your taste preferences. Below I have outlined some ideas.
Variations to the Arugula Wild Rice Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette recipe:
- Cut back on the boldness of the vinegar by substituting part of it with olive oil, or by using a milder vinegar. Try white wine vinegar instead.
- Try minced shallot in place of the minced garlic if you’re not a big garlic fan. You could also make a larger batch and simply use less garlic.
- Swap in other pantry staples. Try quinoa instead of rice, cherries instead of cranberries, and sunflower seeds instead of pecans.
Arugula Wild Rice Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1 entree, or 2-3 sides
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1 TBS each: red wine vinegar and olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (1/4-1/2 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch salt
Salad
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup cooked wild rice blend
- 1/4 cup each: pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette. Toss with arugula. Divide arugula into 2-3 small bowls to make side salads, or 1 large bowl for an entree.
- Top with wild rice, pecans, cranberries and feta cheese.
