This kale wild rice salad combines fresh fruit and vegetables with wild rice for a healthy lunch or side salad. Easy to make, this vegan salad is full of flavour with a deliciously zingy ginger dressing.
Do check out my summer wild rice salad with pomegranate for another tasty grain salad!
This post is sponsored by To Better Days as part of their focus on nutrition for the month of March.
Come the warmer months salads are always a tasty lunch option, or a healthy side year-round. If you love salads as much as I do then you may like to see my healthy chicken salad without mayo, my sweet potato cous cous salad and my butternut and beetroot salad. All so delicious!
If you're a fan of kale (me too!) then my kale apple slaw is a delicious side with BBQ food and for summer picnics, and rice lovers will enjoy my fragrant coconut turmeric rice!
I like to think of this recipe as a kale crunch salad, with the pumpkin seeds, apple and celery giving a hearty 'bite' to the dish. Of course, if you like more crunch just add a few more seeds!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Fresh and light. This salad is the perfect balance of hearty from the wild rice, but also light from the apples, kale and celery.
Versatile and easy to make. Just a few steps to make this salad, and enjoy as a vegan lunch or as a side in smaller portions with other dishes.
Migraine friendly. This salad is packed with ingredients that contain magnesium, known to be helpful for those living with migraine (American Migraine Foundation).
🥬 Ingredients
The full ingredients list and their quantities are in the recipe card below, but some notes on a few of them:
- Wild rice - you can either use all wild rice or a wild rice mix. Personally I find a blend of different rices to be a bit lighter, but both are good options!
- Kale - both regular kale and kalettes work well. Definitely give them a massage as suggested below though!
- Apple - any variety is good, and to preference whether you prefer the sharpness of green apples or the softer taste of red.
- Olive oil - I suggest using an extra virgin olive oil for its richer taste.
📖 Variations on the recipe
If apple cider vinegar doesn't work for you then you can swap out for white distilled vinegar which is lower histamine (scores 0 on the SIGHI list), or leave out completely. If leaving out, I suggest using a bit more ginger for more 'zing' to the dressing.
For those who would like a protein source, you can either add extra seeds or nuts as a plant-based option or a fresh cheese such as mozzarella for a vegetarian salad.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this kale wild rice salad is very simple with just a few steps:
Step 1
Cook your rice according to packet instructions, and then set aside to cool.
Step 2
Massage the kale with the oil, apple cider vinegar (if using) and salt.
Recipe tip: It doesn't take long to massage the kale, and makes such a difference. Just 2-3 minutes!
Step 3
Combine the ingredients for the ginger dressing and stir well. Taste test, and adjust to preference.
Step 4
Add all the ingredients to your bowl and drizzle over the dressing. Then toss to combine.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Don't skip massaging the kale! It changes the texture to make it much softer and easier to digest.
- If you prefer, you can use all wild rice rather than a wild rice mix.
- Dice the apple just before serving as it can brown quickly.
- Use more fresh ginger for extra zing!
📋 Frequently asked questions
A wild rice mix usually combines wild rice with other forms of rice such as long grain brown rice, white rice or red rice. Different blends will contain different varieties of rice. I also use it in my stuffed wild rice peppers recipe!
You don't have to massage the kale, but it is recommended for salad to make it softer and more easy to digest. Just takes a few minutes!
Yes, just add more ginger to the dressing!
🥗 More tasty salads
Perfect for lunch or as a side, there are many tasty salads to choose from, including my popular pear fennel salad and spiced couscous buddha bowl. Some recent recipes to try out:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Kale Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup wild rice or wild rice mix
- 2 cups kale finely diced, packed
- 1 celery stick diced
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 handful parsley or coriander
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
For the ginger dressing
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ garlic clove minced or finely diced
- 2 cm ginger grated, more to taste
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Set aside to cool.
- Add the diced kale to a bowl, and drizzle on the oil, vinegar and salt. Massage the kale with your hands for 2-3 minutes, so it softens.
- Make the ginger dressing by combining all the ingredients. Taste, and adjust with more oil, vinegar or ginger to preference.
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine.
Notes
- Dice the apple last, just before serving as it can brown quickly.
- Adjust the amount of oil in the dressing to preference. There is already oil on the kale, so you may prefer less than usual.
- Ginger is the big flavour of the dressing, so up the quantity if you want extra zing!
- My low histamine readers may wish to leave the apple cider vinegar out of the recipe, or use white distilled vinegar which rates as lower histamine on the SIGHI list.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- ginger, which scores 1.
- kale isn't rated on the SIGHI list.
- apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
- coriander (if using) scores 0, but has a ? as a liberator and a note stating 'only small amounts are well tolerated'.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- garlic, which scores 1.
Chrissy says
I didn’t add the kale and used only black rice but otherwise followed recipe: it was absolutely delicious and I’m not even on a low histamine diet, I was making for a friend and she LOVED IT too.
Claire says
So glad you all liked it!