Wild Rice Salad with Apricots, Pecans, and Tahini-Curry Dressing
Recipe by Danielle Lavallee
This nutrient-packed salad is delicious, high protein, and brimming with fiber and phytonutrients. It is great served as a side dish, or by adding optional garbanzo beans, it becomes a filling main course.
Ingredients:
2 cups dry wild rice
1 bunch lacinato kale
1/4 cup dried apricots (or more)
1/4 cup golden raisins (or more)
1/2 cup pecans (or more)
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of 2 large lemons
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt to taste
(Optional - If you like a sweeter dressing, add a tablespoon of maple syrup.)
(Optional - To make this salad a meal or for extra protien, add a can of rinsed garbanzo beans.)
Ingredient Preparation:
Cook the wild rice according to the package instructions. I like to cook my wild rice in the rice cooker on the brown rice setting. Measure it just as you would brown rice.
Wash the kale and remove the center ribs. Chop the kale into bite sized pieces. For optimal nutrient density, chop the kale immediately after putting on the wild rice and leave it to sit on the counter as the rice cooks. This “whack and wait” technique increases the Sulforaphane levels in the kale. For more information about Sulforaphane and this technique, please see: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/farro-salad-with-maple-lemon-tahini-dressing
Cut the apricots into small pieces.
Instructions for Tahini-Curry Dressing:
Combine the tahini, lemon juice, and curry powder, and whisk until smooth and creamy.
If needed, add a little water to thin the dressing.
Add salt to taste.
If you like a sweeter dressing, add a tablespoon of maple syrup.
Combine the hot cooked rice with the kale. This slightly wilts the kale, making it more tender and easier to chew.
Add the remainder of the ingredients, dress the salad, and toss.
If you are serving this as a meal, I recommend adding a can of rinsed garbanzo beans for extra protein.
A Note on Wild Rice:
Wild rice is actually a seed from a marsh grass, and not a rice grain at all. Being a seed, it is naturally high in protein and contains almost twice the protein as brown rice. As it is not polished or refined in any way, it provides impressive levels of fiber and is great for our microbiomes. It is also super high in antioxidants, containing 30 times more antioxidants than white rice. It is high in magnesium and phosphorus, and it has good amounts of lysine, B vitamins, and folic acid. It is also high in phytosterols, which are known to lower cholesterol. As it is naturally gluten free, it is great for those who are gluten intolerant. www.academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/72/4/227/1859059
A recent study in mice also shows promise for wild rice’s ability to positively alter the microbiome and to help prevent obesity, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. Although more study needs to be done in human trials, this research suggests that wild rice consumption could have far reaching benefits for weight management, microbiome health, and the treatment of inflammatory diseases. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432455/
I hope you like this wild rice salad as much as we do. Not only does it pack an impressive nutritional punch, it is delicious and it will keep you full for hours. Try replacing the dried fruit with cut red grapes for a juicy twist.
Happy Eating!
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