Hardy and filling, this Wild Rice Salad with Chicken and Kale is a shoe-in for the perfect lunch.
Kale and wonderfully-chewy wild rice ensures this salad keeps well in the fridge, while an easy orange dressing keeps brings brightness to the whole thing.
It's a simple gluten free salad that works well for meal prep and makes lunch a meal to anticipate!
Wild rice salad: my new go-to lunch
This salad checks a lot of boxes for me! It's easy to meal prep, provides a lot of nutrition via the veggies, and provides a lot of protein while being macro-friendly.
Doesn't hurt that it tastes amazing, too!
Since the kale and wild rice are very hardy, this salad keeps great in the fridge, ready to grab and go.
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Ingredients in this wild rice salad
Wild Rice
Not directly related to domesticated rice, wild rice is a grain that grows in shallow lakes. It was a staple of Indiginous populations in the Midwest, and can be bought almost anywhere in Minnesota.
Like domesticated rice, wild rice is a great source of carbohydrates. But it also has twice the amount of protein, which makes it a great way to add a little protein to a meal.
Kale
I wanted a hardy base that would hold up for meal prep, so kale was the perfect choice. It's inexpensive and available year round, so this salad isn't reserved for winter. I use kale for salads like Orange Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing and Warm Winter Kale Salad with Maple Vinaigrette often!
To tenderize kale, I suggest massaging the leaves with a bit of olive oil before chopping into smaller bits.
Chicken Breast
lean, boneless, skinless chicken breast is my choice for protein in this meal-prep-worthy salad!
You can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or prep it quickly before assembling the salad. My preferred way to cook up chicken breast for salads is Quick Cast Iron Chicken Breast - it's super simple and flavorful!
Walnuts or Pecans
Your choice of the two! Toasted walnuts or pecans add a little crunch and a whole lot of flavor to this salad.
Raisins
I love adding no sugar added raisins to my salads for a touch of sweetness. Especially in this salad, I adore the overall winter vibes between nutty wild rice, earthy toasted nuts, and sweet raisins.
Feta Cheese
Cheese is the perfect way to add a little oomph to a salad! My choice here is feta cheese because, like the kale, it holds up well even when the salad is prepped in advance.
Parsley and Green Onions
A combo of fresh chopped parsley and green onions adds another layer of flavor to this salad - not too much to overpower the other flavors, but just enough to keep things interesting.
Orange Dressing
A super-simple orange dressing ties this salad together, adding a little citrus sweetness across the board.
Recipe instructions
Salads are simple to prep, so I'll keep this section brief!
Prep the wild rice
Ideally, follow the directions on the package. But here's the method that works for me:
Rinse ¾ cup wild rice in a fine mesh strainer over the sink. Add the rice to a pot with 1 ½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 45 minutes, or until most, but not all, of the grains have burst. Unlike domesticated rice, wild rice won't soak up all the moisture when cooked, so there will likely be water still in the pot. Strain and let cool.
Cook the chicken breast
If you are starting with raw chicken breasts, you'll need to cook them for the recipe.
My favorite method: Quick Cast Iron Chicken Breast. Simple, fast, and you'll get super-moist flavorful chicken breast to use for the recipe!
Prepare the kale
Remove kale leaves from the fibrous stems. Discard the stems.
Drizzle the leaves with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Using your fingers, rub and massage the olive oil into the leaves. This helps to break down the tough kale leaves and makes them much more enjoyable to eat raw!
Prep the dressing
This dressing is incredible simple - just 3 ingredients!
Whisk together fresh-squeezed orange juice, mustard, and olive oil. Easy as that!
Assemble the salad
Once the wild rice is cool enough to handle, you're ready to prep the salad!
If you are assembling the salad for meal prep, I'd suggest adding the dressing to the bottom of your containers first, then chopped chicken, then wild rice, then kale and the rest of the ingredients..
Otherwise, you can add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl, drizzle with the orange dressing, and toss to coat everything. Divide the salad up between 4 bowls and serve.
FAQs
Wild rice isn't directly related to white or brown rice, although they are both grains harvested from different species of grasses.
Unlike domesticated white or brown rice, though, wild rice has a chewier texture and almost nutty taste, and doesn't absorb as much water as domesticated rice when cooked.
Because of all that, the two typically can't be swapped 1:1 in recipes.
Wild rice is typically found in North America, historically a staple of Native American diets. Particularly in my area of the Midwest, it's ubiquitous!
The quick answer - massage the kale before chopping it up!
Just remove the tough stems, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Use your fingers to massage the oil into the kale. This helps loosen up the tough fibers of kale leaves and makes them much more enjoyable raw.
Variations and substitutes
Salads are easy to customize; here are some easy suggestions on how to change this one up!
- Swap out feta cheese for blue cheese
- Use arugula instead of kale
- Swap out raisins for cranberries
- Omit chicken
- Use different fresh herbs like thyme or cilantro
- Swap out wild rice with quinoa or faro
More salad recipes to check out
- Roasted Grape Salad with Delicata Squash
- Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad with Quinoa
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
- BLT Breakfast Bowls (Low Carb)
Did you make this chicken wild rice salad? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Wild Rice Salad with Chicken & Kale
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Kale and wonderfully-chewy wild rice ensures this salad keeps well in the fridge, while an easy orange dressing keeps brings brightness to the whole thing.
Ingredients
Wild Rice Salad:
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- ⅓ cup raw pecans or walnuts
- 5 packed cups kale (from 1 bunch)
- 2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts (see Notes)
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ⅔ cup no sugar added raisins
- 2-3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Orange Dressing:
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot or saucepan. Add the rinsed wild rice. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer at cover, cooking for 30-35 minutes or until wild rice is just tender, but still slightly chewy and rice grains have not all burst. If needed, cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Drain the wild rice in a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
- To toast the pecans or walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, giving the pan a good shake halfway through. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the dressing by adding the orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, and mustard to a bowl. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare the kale by removing tough outer stems. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then use your fingers to massage the oil into the kale. This helps to break up the tough fibers of the leaves and makes them easier to eat raw.
- Transfer the cooled rice to a large bowl. Add the kale, chopped chicken breasts, cooled nuts, green onions, raisins, crumbled feta, and parsley. Pour in the dressing and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. If prepping this salad in advance, I'd suggest keeping the chicken and arugula separate until serving. However, this salad keeps pretty well in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Otherwise, if starting with raw chicken breasts, cook it in on the stovetop (my preferred method) or in the oven.
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