Chicken and Wild Rice Salad
Discover a vibrant and nutritious meal with this Chicken and Wild Rice Salad, a perfect harmony of bold flavors and wholesome ingredients. Featuring tender wild rice, shredded chicken breast, and a colorful medley of baby spinach, red bell pepper, celery, and sweet dried cranberries, this salad combines texture and taste in every bite. The addition of toasted slivered almonds lends a satisfying crunch, while a zesty homemade vinaigrette made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a hint of honey ties it all together. Ready in just over an hour, this gluten-free dish is ideal for meal prepping, light lunches, or crowd-pleasing potlucks. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a refreshing, protein-packed option that’s easy to customize and bursting with flavor!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup Wild rice
- 3 cups Water
- 2 cups Cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 2 cups Baby spinach leaves
- 1 large Red bell pepper, diced
- 2 Celery stalks, sliced thinly
- 1 cup Dried cranberries
- 1 cup Slivered almonds, toasted
- 0.25 cup Olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Rinse the wild rice under cold water using a fine mesh sieve.
In a medium saucepan, combine the wild rice and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the grains have split open.
Drain any excess water from the cooked wild rice and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, baby spinach leaves, diced red bell pepper, sliced celery, dried cranberries, and toasted slivered almonds.
Once the wild rice has cooled, add it to the mixing bowl with the other salad ingredients.
Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish or individual plates. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 day for the flavors to meld.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
3138 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 137.6 g | 176% | |
| Saturated Fat | 18.4 g | 92% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 406 mg | 135% | |
| Sodium | 1935 mg | 84% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 283.6 g | 103% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 40.7 g | 145% | |
| Total Sugars | 116.3 g | ||
| Protein | 196.3 g | 393% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 564 mg | 43% | |
| Iron | 14.1 mg | 78% | |
| Potassium | 3763 mg | 80% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
