Hearty whole grains, winter squash, savory mushrooms and bitter radicchio are all perfect pairings for a winter’s meal. This Wild Rice, Kabocha and Cranberry Salad is topped with sweet dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds with a hint of spice to add depth of flavor. Wild rice is such a delicious winter grain-check out some nutrition info about it here!
Our oil free Cranberry Champagne Vinaigrette is a great dressing to complement the earthy flavors of the salad. Slightly sweet and creamy, with a hint of bright champagne acidity, you’ll want to use this delicious dressing again and again!
Looking for some tips on how to make your salads more satisfying? Check out this article!
Wild Rice, Kabocha and Cranberry Salad
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Cook time
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Hearty and healthy autumnal grain and winter squash salad!
Author: Rachel Carr
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Cranberry Champagne Vinaigrette
- ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1.4 cup olive oil (or veg stock if you’re oil free)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Wild Rice
- ½ cup wild rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch sea salt
Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 1 small kabocha squash, cooked
- 3 oz shiitake mushrooms, cooked
- 1 cup chopped radicchio
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup Italian parsley leaves
Instructions
- For the Cranberry Champagne Vinaigrette, add the pumpkin seeds, champagne vinegar, dried cranberries, veg stock, maple syrup, salt and pepper to a blender. Purée until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
- For the Wild Rice, add the wild rice, water and sea salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 30-40 minutes or until all the water is observed and the wild rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
- For the Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the champagne vinegar, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Spread the dressed pumpkin seeds onto a small sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- For the cooked kabocha squash, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut off the skin carefully with a knife and the chop the orange flesh of the squash into wedges. Place onto a parchment lined sheet pa. and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 30 minutes covered and then remove from the oven to test the done-ness of the kabocha pieces. Flip the pieces, cover again with foil and cook for another 15 minutes if they are not tender to the center. After they are easily pierced with a knife, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- To cook the mushrooms, remove the stems of the mushrooms. Heat ¼ cup of water in a sauté pan over low heat and add the trimmed mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in the water, stirring frequently and adding more water as needed to keep the mushrooms from sticking to the pan.
- To make the salad toss the rice, ¼ cup of the toasted pumpkin seeds, the cooked kabocha, and the cooked shiitake mushrooms with the radicchio, dried cranberries, parsley and dressing as desired. Serve with more of the dressing and the rest of the roasted pumpkin seeds on the side.
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