Warm Wild Rice Salad With Dried Fruit And Nuts

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 1/2 cups water or 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 cup dried fruit (cherries, diced apricots, or cranberries)
• 1 cup dried currant
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 soak wild rice in a bowl of water overnight.
• 2 rinse and place rice in a medium-sized pot with water or broth.
• 3 bring to a boil over high heat.
• 4 reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• 5 remove from heat and set aside.
• 6 in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
• 7 add rice and toss to coat.
• 8 serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• 9 from recipe creator - if making ahead, reheat rice salad on the stove top or bake at 350 degrees f. in a covered casserole dish for 20 minutes. (untried by me as of yet).
• 10 *cook’s note: for best results, soak dried fruit in hot water or warm juice for 15 minutes or more to rehydrate slightly and give the fruit a juicier, chewy texture.