Wild Rice & Fruit Salad

Wild Rice & Fruit Salad


2 cups wild rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 red apple, cored and cut into 1/4 –inch dice
Pinch of ground cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 –inch dice
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 –inch dice
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup currants
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is tender and most of the kernels have burst, about 55 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside in a large bowl.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add apple and cloves, and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with rice. In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic; sauté until onions are translucent and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with rice mixture; add currants. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the skillet to the heat; add apple-cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Heat, whisking constantly until mixture has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining two tablespoons olive oil; set aside. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled, garnished with toasted almonds.

This makes a great potluck dish or a holiday side dish.  It’s sweet and savory and can be made a day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.