Blueberry Walnut Wild Rice Salad
This is a great tasting salad! My mom made it for us last week and I just loved it. The blueberries give it a sweet taste, while the walnuts give it a good crunch. Blueberries and walnuts are two of my favorite things to eat and it turns out they are good for you too. I am also a big rice fan.
My mom pulled this recipe out of a magazine. Unfortunately, I don’t know what magazine to give credit to for this recipe. I do believe, however, this recipe was provided by the blueberry organization and the California walnut association.
So make it soon while the blueberries are in season now and just bursting with great flavor!
Best Eating, Lori
Blueberry Walnut Wild Rice Salad
¾ cup coarsely chopped California walnuts
1-pint blueberries (2 cups)
¼ t sugar
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground pepper
1 t freshly chopped tarragon
1 ½ cups wild rice, cooked and cooled
6 ounces cooked chicken breast, cut into strips or chunks
Dressing:
Juice of one orange (1/2 cup)
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T chopped flat leaf parsley
2 t fresh thyme leaves
1 T olive oil
To serve:
1 head butter lettuce (note regular mix greens were used in mom’s recipe)
1 additional orange, peeled and cut into segments
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on a sheet pan and bake for 5-7 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool. Wash and drain blueberries, removing any stems. Turn berries into a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, pepper and tarragon. Toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes. Add wild rice, chicken, and walnuts. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, vinegar, parsley, thyme, and oil. Pour over blueberry mixture and mix well. Put lettuce in large serving bowl and add orange segments. Top with blueberry walnut salad mixture. Serve at room temperature.
Notes: May be made 2 hours ahead. If you wish to prepare salad further in advance, simply mix in walnuts 15 minutes before serving.
Please let me know how you like it. I am always interested to hear from you and if you added or changed up some ingredients to your liking.