TweetYum

Wild Rice Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

Topic: Wild Rice Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

This Mandarin Orange Wild Rice Salad recipe has been in our family for years. It’s a hearty fall salad with blueberries, walnuts, chives, and tangerines with a delicious orange vinaigrette. It’s a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or anytime, as it pairs well with many fall and winter dishes. I love it with roast turkey, chicken, or pork. When I had my tearoom in California, I often served it in the fall in cute glass teacups topped with spinach. Over the years, I have adapted it to this healthier version. The original version was from one of my mother’s cookbooks for army wives.

Can you make the salad ahead of time?
Yes! You can make it. : You can make it ahead of time, just don’t add the dressing until about 2 hours before serving.

• Prepare the salad according to the instructions, but keep the nuts and mint.
• Make the vinaigrette.
• Store everything in the fridge.
• About 2 hours before serving, remove the salad, add the mint, walnuts, and vinaigrette. Leave it at room temperature until ready to serve.

Variations

Make it a main meal by adding the leftover roast turkey or chicken!

Wild Rice Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

Print Recipe

Save Recipe Recipe Saved

This Wild Rice Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe is a hearty fall salad featuring cranberries, walnuts, chives, minced mint, and tangerines with a delicious orange vinaigrette. It’s a perfect side for Thanksgiving or anytime, as it pairs so well with many fall and winter dishes!

• Author: Mustafa Rangoonwala
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Side Dishes
• Method: Mixing
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 c. wild rice, cooked according to directions on package (leave out any salt, butter or oil)
• 1 c. mandarin oranges, fresh or canned
• 1/4 c. green onions, chopped
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries (You can use Craisins, however you will need to add 1 Smart Point to the total recipe count)
• 1/4 c. pecans, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped
• 3 T. red onion, chopped
• 2 c. spring mix or fresh spinach

Dressing:

• Olive oil spray ( I like to use my Olive Oil Mister)
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar (use a quality one)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 t. kosher salt
• dash of pepper

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 °. Place the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. (Or a quick way I sometimes use is to grill them for about a minute – watch closely. They burn fast!)
3. To make the salad, mix in a large bowl: rice, tangerines, onions, blueberries, walnuts, and mint.
4. To make the dressing, mix in a liquid measuring cup or salad dressing table: orange juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
5. About 2 hours before serving, drizzle about 4 sprays of olive oil over the rice and mix. Add the dressing. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature.
6. Immediately before serving, garnish a nice bowl with fresh lettuce or spinach. Add the rice mixture. Garnish with a piece of fresh mint if desired.

Notes

You can make this recipe ahead of time, but set the mint and walnuts aside until finished (to keep them crisp) and keep the dressing and salad separate until about 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 102kcal
• Sodium: 200.4mg
• Fat: 2g
• Saturated Fat: 0.2g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 2.6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: Wild Rice Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

Recommended Recipes:

How To Prevent Bugs In Rice

How Do You Cook Broccoli In The Microwave

How To Make Mash Potatoes In The Microwave

Best Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries