Wild Rice & Butternut Squash
Maker: Liz Thomson of I Heart Vegetables
Liz is a vegetarian, personal trainer, & health coach living and working in Richmond, VA. Her goal is to help people eat healthier and live happier! Healthy doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
She’s a girl who loves her vegetables, plain and simple. She’s been sharing her easy vegetarian recipes on her blog, I Heart Vegetables for 10 years. This self-described “lazy cook” is all about simple recipes that anyone can make, rather than the complicated, fancy stuff. She’s on a mission to show people that eating healthy can be easy, fun, and tasty!
Website: iheartvegetables.com
Instagram: @iheartveggies
Facebook: @IHeartVegetables
Twitter: @iheartveggies
Pinterest: @elizparent
A Note From Liz:
This wild rice and butternut squash salad makes a great Thanksgiving side dish because it’s colorful and a little unexpected. Since this dish is vegan and gluten-free, everyone can enjoy it!
This recipe came about because I wanted to make something that didn’t need to be served immediately out of the oven since I knew oven space would be tight. I settled on a recipe that could be served at room temperature. I adapted this recipe from Bon Appétit and it turned out really well! This salad has made an appearance at quite a few Thanksgiving holidays!
Wild Rice Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked wild rice
- 2 medium butternut squash, cut into 1” cubes
- 1 pomegranate, seeded (about 3/4 cup of seeds)
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons agave (or honey, if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Cook the wild rice according to package directions.
- Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spread the butternut squash into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes then flipping the pieces over and continue to roast for 10-15 minutes. (You may need to roast it a bit longer, depending on your oven. Make sure it’s a bit brown on the sides.)
- Once both are cooked, spread out the cooked rice and butternut squash onto a baking tray or large piece of aluminum foil and let cool.
- Mix together the olive oil, honey, and vinegar.
- Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
