Like wine, women and some songs, this salad also improves with age, thanks to hearty wild rice. This is once again, a method, so use whatever vegetables you have to chop and toss in – the must-haves are the grapes & toasted nuts, but especially the grapes! Dumb it down for a light side dish, or pump it up for a hearty main by adding cooked chicken, shrimp, steak or pork. And FYI, wild rice is not actually rice at all, it’s a seed from marsh grass. So for those of you watching your carb intake, knock yourself out! It’s chewy, it’s nutty and it’s absolutely delicious. Aside from this salad, cook up a cup or two, and have it on hand to toss into all sorts of dishes – soups, omelettes, frittatas, muffins, cookies, pancakes, crêpes – it is a little pricey, so this is a great way to stretch your stash! click here to jump down to the wild rice with toasted nuts & grapes recipe 
1. Get your wild rice cooked and cooled.
2. Get your supporting players sorted out and start prepping.
3. Dice up the veg.
4. Halve the grapes.
5. Chop the parsley.
6. Break down the nuts.
7. And start assembling your salad – stir the diced vegetable into the wild rice.
8. Give it a good mix.
9. Add the nuts.
10. Give it another mix.
11. Next are the grapes, be gentle.
12. Then the parsley.
13. Time to dress – a few glugs of olive oil, the same of balsamic vinegar.
14. Finish with a few good cracks of black pepper & salt. Let your tastebuds be your guide. Taste, taste, taste and adjust accordingly.
15. Pile it on to a platter and dig in!
wild rice salad with toasted nuts & grapes
1. Combine the following in a pot and simmer 45-60 minutes until soft & chewy, drain and set aside in a large bowl:
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3-4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
2. Prep the following and add to the wild rice and mix well:
- 1/2+ cup grapes, halved
- 1/2+ cup nuts, chopped & toasted
- 1-2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup scallions or red onion, chopped
- a handful Italian parsley, chopped
- 2-3 tbsps. balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tbsps. olive oil
- several cracks of black pepper
- salt, to taste
3. Allow the flavours to mingle for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
get creative
- add any cubed cooked protein – chicken, fish, seafood, tofu, beef or pork
- switch up the nuts with whatever you have on hand
- no grapes – use diced dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots or figs
- spice it up with a finely chopped red chile or a splash of your favourite hot sauce.
- mix in other grains – brown rice, farro, quinoa or bulgur wheat
- stir in small cooked pasta – orzo,
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wild rice salad with toasted nuts & grapes
