Crispy Wild Rice Kale Chicken Salad
This Crispy Wild Rice Kale Chicken Salad consists of oven-crisped wild rice, finely chopped kale, rotisserie chicken, tart apple, pecans, and pomegranate, all tossed in a tangy blender maple cider vinaigrette. It’s crunchy, cozy, full of fiber and protein, and it holds up all week in the fridge.
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 458kcal
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cups cooked & cooled wild rice blend to save time, I buy this frozen and defrost in microwave
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups white meat rotisserie chicken chopped
- 1 bunch curly kale stems removed, very finely chopped, the finer the better!
- 1 Granny Smith apple finely diced
- ½ small red onion finely diced
- ½ cup raw pecans coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils
For the Maple Cider Vinaigrette
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Spread the cooked and cooled wild rice onto a baking sheet, drizzle it with the olive oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Toss it until every grain is coated, then spread it back out in an even layer.
- Bake the rice for about 40 minutes, tossing it at the halfway point, until it’s golden and crunchy. Oven times vary, so keep an eye on it toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
- While the rice is in the oven, make the dressing. Add the avocado oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste it, adjust anything you want, and set it aside.
- Use the rest of the oven time to prep the salad. Remove the kale stems and chop the leaves as finely as you can, then finely dice the apple and red onion, coarsely chop the pecans, and chop the chicken.
- Finally, build your salad. Add the kale, chicken, apple, red onion, pecans, pomegranate arils, and crispy rice to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss until everything is well coated. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 208IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
