This summer wild rice salad without mayo is simple to put together and makes a lovely lunch or light dinner. It's also a great dish to take to picnics or BBQ's to have alongside meats, fish or cheese.
Suitable for a gluten-free diet, this salad is also vegetarian and low histamine. Can easily be vegan by swapping out the honey dressing for maple syrup.
Salads are always a go-to for my family in the summer, and grain salads work perfectly as both a lunch idea or side salad. If you love them too then you may like to see my nutty wild rice salad and quinoa tabbouleh. Both healthy and easy to make!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Sweet, crunchy and fresh. The combination of the crisp vegetables and pomegranate is so good.
- Versatile. A lovely side that can go with so many different main dishes, or be a lunch in itself.
- Easy to make. This looks a little fancy, but is so simple and the only cook time is for the wild rice.
Ingredients
The main ingredients you will need for this salad are:
- Wild rice - a really nice alternative to regular white rice, and has a great nutty taste. In this recipe I use the Biona Organic wild rice mix here, but you can also use solely wild rice if you prefer.
- Apple and celery - the crunchy vegetables of the salad.
- Pomegranate - gives a lovely pop of sweetness.
- Pumpkin seed - for the best crunch!
- Olive oil, vinegar, honey and garlic - for the dressing.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients and their quantities!
Step by step instructions
This wild rice salad with pomegranate has three main steps:
1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions.
2. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients and giving it a good whisk or stir.
3. Plate up the salad by combining ingredients and drizzling on the dressing.
More salads to enjoy
Fresh and light, these salads work well for lunch or to take to a picnic or BBQ.
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Summer wild rice salad
Ingredients
For the wild rice salad
- ½ cup wild rice or wild rice mix
- ½ apple diced
- ½ celery stick diced
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
- 1 tablespoon pepitas / pumpkin seeds
- small handful parsley chopped
- 1 green onion optional
For the honey dressing
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ garlic clove minced, optional
- pinch pink himalayan salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Cook your wild rice according to packet instructions and leave to cool in a sieve.
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking together.
- Once the rice has cooled, transfer to a bowl and combine with the apple, celery, pepitas, pomegranate seeds, green onion (if using) and parsley. Drizzle over the dressing. Then plate up, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can make this solely with wild rice as an alternative, but personally I feel that a wild rice mix is better.
- For those on a low histamine diet, if you prefer to stick to foods rated as 0 on the SIGHI list, then you can swap put apple cider vinegar for distilled white vinegar.
- If you prefer to keep the recipe vegan, then swap out the honey for a touch of maple syrup or agave nectar.
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list for histamine
All ingredients in this wild rice salad score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:- apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2, although the SIGHI list states that small amounts are tolerated.
- green onion, which is not scored on the SIGHI list.
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