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serving of kale and wild rice salad in white bowl with fork

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Salad:

  • ¾ cup uncooked wild rice blend (see note)
  • 6 ounces (about 5 lightly packed cups) coarsely or finely chopped kale/baby spinach or a power greens mix (see note)
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (see note)
  • 1 medium honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
  • ½ to 1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted (see note)
  • ½ to 1 cup craisins or golden raisins
  • ½ to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ to 1 cup chopped fresh basil (optional - if not in season, add a pinch of dried basil to the dressing)
  • 1 to 2 medium avocados, diced

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic (see note) or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • ¼ to ½ cup fresh cilantro

Instructions 

  • Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain (if needed) and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and well-combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
  • Assemble the salad by placing the greens in the bottom of a large serving bowl or on a platter. Top with rice, chicken, apples, almonds, craisins, feta, basil (if using), and avocados.
  • Drizzle dressing over salad and toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

Dressing: this is a lightly dressed salad, so if you like a lot of dressing to salad ratio, consider doubling the recipe. 
Rice: this is the wild rice blend I like to use (if you have a Winco close, you can find it in the bulk bins). You can also use tri-color quinoa for a rice alternative.
Kale/Greens: for the greens, you can use all chopped kale or all chopped spinach, although I prefer using a power greens mix that has spinach, kale and other baby greens. The greens can be coarsely or finely chopped.
Chicken: a rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken will work well for this salad. I've also made it by seasoning chicken tenders with salt, pepper and garlic and cooking them on the grill (you could also use an air fryer, skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, or an oven set to broil). 
Almonds: toasting the almonds adds delicious flavor and crunch - I use this easy microwave method to toast the nuts.
Balsamic Vinegar: this salad dressing is delicious with regular (dark) balsamic vinegar; it's also delicious with white balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.