This summer wild rice salad without mayo is full of flavor with pops of pomegranate, herbs and a tasty honey garlic dressing. So easy to make, it's equally delicious as a healthy lunch, or as a side salad for summer picnics or BBQs.
This cold summer wild rice salad recipe will fast become a family favorite I think! It's packed with healthy ingredients, and is so simple to make. Enjoy as a main or side in the summer sun!
Salads are always a go-to for my family in the summer, and fruit or 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, mango cucumber salad and quinoa tabbouleh. All 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 salad that can be served 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 wild rice salad recipe 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, 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! Make sure to use unflavored seeds.
- 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 summer wild rice salad has three main steps, and all are easy to do:
Step 1
Cook the rice according to packet instructions.
Step 2
Make the dressing by combining the ingredients and giving it a good whisk or stir.
Step 3
Plate up the salad by combining the vegetables, fruit and rice and drizzling on the dressing.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- You can make this solely with wild rice as an alternative, but personally I feel that a wild rice mix is better.
- If you prefer to keep the recipe vegan, then swap out the honey for a touch of maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Adjust quantities or ratios of the fruit and vegetables to taste preference.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Wild rice has a slightly nutty taste, with a chewy texture.
Yes, and it's what I usually use! But all wild rice is tasty too!
You can add mozzarella cheese (or feta cheese if it works for you) to the salad, or grilled chicken or turkey. For a vegan option, more nuts and seeds adds protein.
🥬 More healthy salads
Fresh and light, there are so many fun salads to choose from for lunch or to take to a picnic or BBQ, including my cucumber beet salad and my turkey vegetable pasta salad. Some recent recipes to try:
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 tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
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 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.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- 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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