This recipe for Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad was created in partnership with Bob's Red Mill. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Shared Appetite!
Okay friends. Thanksgiving is tomorrow. And you procrastinated. Don't freak out.
Maybe freak out a little 😉
Whether you're hosting this year and just found out your uncle's new girlfriend is vegan, or promised to bring a gluten free Thanksgiving side dish to your family get together (because a certain cousin suddenly has a gluten sensitivity), you're covered with this Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad.
This recipe was born out of using up ingredients I already had in my pantry and fridge. I literally didn't go out and buy one ingredient. And listen, let me be honest. If you don't have every ingredient in this recipe, it's okay. Swap it out with something similar and it'll come out great. I promise.
Here's why this Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad is an absolutely perfect Thanksgiving side dish...
- it's gluten free and vegan
- you can serve it at room temperature, which is key on Thanksgiving when every burner and inch of oven space is already accounted for.
- assemble it ahead of time and toss with the dressing just before serving!
- you probably have the majority of the ingredients already hanging out in your pantry and fridge.
- sweet, nutty, crunchy, chewy, acidic, savory, peppery... this Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad brings so many flavors and textures to the party!
Let's break down this salad and offer you up some easy swaps so we can keep this salad absolutely no stress:
- Arugula + Radicchio - I love the peppery and slightly bitter bite these hearty greens bring to the salad. Feel free though to swap in any lettuce you have on hand.
- Roasted Sweet Potato - roast up some beets or butternut squash instead if that's more your style!
- Red Seedless Grapes - have some ripe pears or apples on hand? Those will work just fine.
- Walnuts - pepitas, pecans, sliced almonds... bring on da nuts.
- Dried Cranberries - raisins or chopped dried cherries will be a great substitute!
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette - if you don't have apple cider vinegar, feel free to use red wine or champagne vinegar. If you don't have shallots, just swap out a bit of yellow onion instead. Don't have any onions? Use a pinch of onion and garlic powder instead 🙂
The only thing that you really do need to make this wild rice salad happen? Uhm.... wild rice.
That's where good ole' Bob's Red Mill comes in. These guys. They are awesome. At least ¼ of my entire pantry are Bob's Red Mill products. Every single thing that they put out is quality... and I every time I get to their display in the grocery store, I'm always finding a new item to try. #inspired
If you've never had Bob's Red Mill Wild Rice before, it's got a great nutty flavor and chewy texture. It has a higher proportion of protein than many other whole grains and packs a good amount of fiber into each serving. And we all know we could use some fiber after a gut-busting Thanksgiving meal!
Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package Bob's Red Mill Wild Rice, cooked according to package directions
- 1 (5 ounce) package baby arugula
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 shallot, minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread diced sweet potatoes in a single layer on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season generously with Kosher salt. Roast for 20 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Combine cooked wild rice, baby arugula, roasted sweet potatoes, grapes, dried cranberries, and walnuts in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, apple cider vinegar, and remaining ½ cup olive oil. Season generously with Kosher salt and pepper. Drizzle desired amount of dressing into salad and toss to combine. Devour.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Sweet Potato, Grape, and Wild Rice Salad
Need More Rice?
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