Lentil and Wild Rice Salad with Summer Vegetables

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The rain in Portland has (mostly) stopped and temperatures are on the rise. We have no less than three perfect months ahead of us, not quite summer, but we’ve definitely tipped firmly into salad season. At long last.

This Lentil and Wild Rice Salad with Summer Vegetables will be your official salad of summer. It’s absolutely perfect for lunch or a light dinner in the summer.

Bonus points, it keeps really well thanks to the hearty kale, lentils and wild rice. Ideal for making ahead of time to avoid cooking when the evenings are so nice and warm.

This salad adapts easily to whatever vegetables you might have around or growing in your garden. The yellow squash can easily be swapped for zucchini or any of the summer squashes.

Fun fact: wild rice isn’t even rice. It’s actually a seed cultivated in Minnesota and parts of California. I’m partial to that nutty flavor and love that it’s gluten-free, but if wild rice isn’t your thing, try swapping it for:

• farro
• bulgar
• brown rice
• quinoa
• barley
• couscous

Rice cooking time aside, this salad comes together quickly with minimal cleanup. I like to buy the steamed (precooked) lentils from Trader Joe’s to save some time and have one less pot to wash.

This recipe is great slightly warm or cold. Perfect for lunches or taking to a party. After it rests in the refrigerator for a while, you may notice it’s soaked up all of the dressing and needs a little refresh.

Lentil and Wild Rice Summer Salad

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• Author: Katie Koteen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Salad, Lunch
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vegan, gluten-free

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Description

This Lentil and Wild Rice Salad with Summer Vegetables will be your official salad of summer. It’s absolutely perfect as a side or hearty enough for a lunch or light dinner. Gluten-free and vegan.

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Ingredients

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Salad

2 cups cooked lentils or ¾ cup dried lentils

½ cup wild rice

1 yellow squash, diced large

½ bunch asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces

½ bunch kale, stemmed and cut in bite-sized pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

¼ cup slivered almonds

Thyme Balsamic Dressing

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp. dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. fresh thyme

salt and pepper

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Instructions

If you’re cooking lentils, rinse those and get them started according to package directions. 

Rinse the wild rice well and drain. Add it, along with 2 cups of water to a medium sized pot. You’ll want something larger than you think, because we’ll be steaming our vegetables in this pot too. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 45 minutes. 

After the rice has cooked 45 minutes, carefully and quickly remove the lid to add the squash and asparagus, along with another ¼ cup water. Replace the lid and steam the vegetables with the rice another 5 minutes. You may need to turn up the heat if all of the steam escapes, just be careful not to burn the rice. 

Once the vegetables are just cooked, drain any excess water, fluff up the wild rice and let it all cool for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. 

While the rice and vegetables are cooling, you can prepare the the dressing. 

In a medium sized bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, maple syrup

and fresh thyme. Whisk to combine. Continue to whisk and slowly add in the olive oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, combine wild rice, squash, asparagus, tomatoes, kale, almonds and lentils. Toss gently, adding a few tablespoons of dressing at a time to taste. 

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Notes

For the lentils, I like to use a hearty variety, like the french lentil, but a green lentil would work well too. I often buy the steamed (pre-cooked) lentils from Trader Joe's. 

When I'm washing my kale, I like to give it a good massage in warm water to soften it up a bit.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 217
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 18 mg
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbohydrates: 21.2 g
• Protein: 8.5 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg