The Punchy Grain Salad Our Editors Are Making This Fall

When I think of wild rice, my mind goes immediately to its earthy, nutty flavor—one that's far more pronounced and distinct than most other whole grains like brown rice, wheat berries, or oats. It's a flavor profile that is at home on the autumnal table, which is to say that it's also a grain that's at home on the holiday, and specifically Thanksgiving, table.

Here, I play with contrasting flavors to make this wild rice salad sing, leaning on sweet-tart autumn fruits—plump dried cranberries and crisp pickled apples—that are bright and punchy, while infusing the rice with deep flavor during the boiling step. This recipe isn't exclusively a Thanksgiving recipe, but it sure would be welcome alongside the turkey and cranberry sauce. I even developed it on the larger side to feed a crowd (feel free to cut the recipe if it's too much for your family—it should scale fairly seamlessly in any direction).

Wild rice is an important staple of many Native American tribes, primarily in the Midwest and Canada. It is harvested sustainably, via canoe and a gentle threshing of the wild rice grasses with sticks. Most of the grains fall into the boat, but some fall into the water, ensuring a future crop. 

For more information on wild rice, see my recipe for wild rice salad with mushrooms, celery root, and pine nuts. Be sure to purchase 100% wild rice, and not a blend with brown rice filler. Consider purchasing from a native source, like Red Lake Nation Foods. 

If I'm being honest (not not particularly humble), the pickled apples here are my stroke of genius. I'm probably not the first person to think of pickling apples, but it isn't something I've personally seen before. It works so well, I'd go as far as to say this is a powerful culinary component that is open to variation and will lend itself to an endless array of recipe possibilities—it just works so well, the crisp apple bright and tart and refreshing, all at once.

The apples are also easy to make: I just soak them in a brine made from white wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. I pour the hot brine on top of the apples, but then chill it all rapidly with an ice bath. White wine vinegar has a clean taste that keeps the apple flavor bright, but the relative neutrality of rice wine vinegar would be a good choice as well (and both help preserve the apple's natural color).

To balance out all that tangy, fruity brightness, I also add toasted pecans, and some diced red onion and celery that is sautéed in butter until tender.

The result is fragrant, layered, and flavorful, with a range of texture to make every bite pleasing.