This Kale and Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pecans is a naturally gluten free recipe that is great on it’s own or as a side!
I doubled this recipe and took it to Friendsgiving over the weekend and it was a huge hit! Most guests these days are appreciative of a little something green here and there during the holidays. What is even better is that this salad can be made ahead of time because the kale really holds up against the dressing and doesn’t get soggy. Oh and it is excellent as leftovers too!
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Kale and Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pecans
I love the simplicity of this salad. Simple ingredients and a dressing that comes together with mostly pantry staples. It really is the simple things in life, huh? I’ve made several different variations of this salad this fall and they are all lovely. That’s when I know a recipe is good to share is when I keep making it for myself and am still craving it.
While the salad pictured here is quite large, I double the recipe below, you can half the recipe and make two big servings for an entree. Or serve as a side along with protein or meal prep for lunches.
For our Friendsgiving, our host is gluten free so I used wild rice for this salad. I actually loved the subtly nutty flavor and tiniest bit of crunch it gave versus our brown rice. I have used pearl couscous in place of the rice before and it works wonderfully.
I love to use pecans this time of year because they feel so seasonal to me! Other great substitutions would be pepitas or pomegranate seeds. Feta adds a nice savory component but goat cheese or parmesan would work beautifully for a lactose-free alternative.
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Kale and Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 bunch lacinato kale stems removed and thinly cut
- 1 cup wild rice dry rice + 2 cups water for cooking
- 2 cups butternut squash 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt reduce by half if using table salt
Dressing
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice from 1/2 a small lemon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt reduce by half if using table salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the over to 350F. Then bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add wild rice, return to boil, cover then reduce to simmer and let cook for 45 minutes. Stirring occasionally until all liquid is absorbed.
- Next toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil and salt. Spread onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until butternut squash is tender. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, wash kale and removed stems. Finely chop kale and add to large bowl. Then add red onion and pecans. Whisk together ingredients for dressing until emulsified and set aside.
- Once rice and butternut squash are done, all to bowl with kale. Pour over dressing and toss together. Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to three days.
Notes
Nutrition
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