Wild Rice Pilaf
This vibrant cranberry-orange Wild Rice Pilaf features wild rice, juicy clementines, sweet cranberries, and crisp apples, all tossed in a zesty orange-honey vinaigrette. A perfect burst of flavor in every bite!
Servings: 6 servings, as a side
Cost: $8.21
Equipment
- Medium pot nonstick
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
Wild Rice
- 1 cup wild rice blend I use Lundberg
- 1-3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pilaf
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery 2 to 3 stalks
- 3 clementine oranges I like Cuties and Halo
- 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 large apple Fuji or Honeycrisp
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice optional
- 1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped, see note 1
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/3 cup roasted and salted pepitas
Dressing
- 1 clementine orange
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the wild rice blend in a fine mesh sieve with cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium nonstick pot, add water, mustard, butter, salt, parsley, pepper, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then add rinsed rice. Cover and reduce heat to low (just above the lowest low setting). Simmer 45–60 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (stir occasionally, returning the pot lid as soon as stirring is done). Add additional water if rice has absorbed all the liquid and is still not tender.
- Check if rice is done at 45 minutes and every 5–10 minutes after that (my stovetop takes about 50–55 minutes). If rice is tender but still has liquid left, drain off additional liquid. Once tender, remove the pot from the burner, leaving the lid on, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Cover and chill in fridge until cooled through.
- Zest and juice a clementine to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Combine clementine juice and zest with all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Seal and shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to dress.
- Prep the pilaf ingredients: Cut celery stalks in half width-wise, then thinly slice. Peel clementines and separate into segments, then cut segments in half. Finely chop parsley. Peel (if desired; I leave peel on) the apple and finely chop. Squeeze fresh lemon over all. Coarsely chop pecans.
- Add everything to the large bowl with the chilled wild rice—celery, clementines, parsley, apple, pecans, dried cranberries, and pepitas. Toss gently to combine. Drizzle dressing over everything to your desired preference (you may not want to use all the dressing). Gently toss again, then taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes before serving. Gently toss again to combine and serve.
Video
Notes
Note 1: If desired, toast pecans before chopping and adding to the pilaf. Spread the (un-chopped) pecans in an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil) pan over medium heat and stir them around a bit until they are fragrant and toasted to your liking. Watch them carefully; they can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in an instant! I remove them as soon as they begin to smell fragrant.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 1339IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg