Roasted Butternut Squash & Wild Rice Salad

Prep Time: 20 Mins

Cook Time: 50 Mins

Total Time: 70 Mins

Serves: 4-6

The beauty of wild rice is that it has such a nice crunch, and visually the black rice contrasts beautifully with any veggie, making it perfect for salads. The earthiness of the wild rice is nicely complemented by a zesty ginger dressing and topped with roasted butternut squash, pomegranate arils, green onions, and feta cheese. This recipe is the perfect show-stopper to bring to your next potluck. It can be prepared ahead of time without compromising texture or taste and is a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wild rice, rinsed

1 small to medium butternut squash, cut into 2 cm cubes 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

200g green beans 

1 bunch of green onions, finely sliced. 

1/4 cup feta

1/3 cup arils from a pomegranate 

Ginger Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 

Directions

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1. Start cooking the wild rice. I use a rice cooker, add 3 cups of water to the wild rice and set it to the whole grain setting. If not, use the package instructions for the stovetop. 

2. Preheat the oven to 425. On a lined baking tray, toss the cubes of butternut with olive oil, sea salt, and cinnamon. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the edges begin to crisp. Toss halfway. 

3. Trim the ends of the green beans. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the green beans to the water until cooked. This will depend on the thickness of the beans and can take anywhere from 1-7 minutes. Keep checking them occasionally until they have softened but still have a bite. Drain and set aside to cool. Then chop them into 3 cm pieces.

4. To make the ginger dressing, combine the oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ginger, and salt. Whisk until emulsified. 

5. Once the rice is cooked, while still warm, add half the green onions and the ginger dressing to it and mix. Spread the rice on your platter. Top with the green beans, butternut, pomegranate, the rest of the green onions, and the feta. Serve warm or at room temperature.