Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
This wild rice salad includes arugula, dried cherries, toasted almonds and feta, tossed in a zippy lemon dressing! It's gluten free, filling and delicious.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 22, 2024
Have you tried wild rice in your salads yet? I’m hooked! Wild rice is chewy, nutty, and hearty. It’s high in protein and B vitamins, and adds a strong backbone to healthy green salads.
This salad is wholesome and filling, with plenty of bold arugula and bursts of flavor in the form of toasted almonds, creamy feta, dried tart cherries and fresh basil.
I shared this recipe several years ago, but I’m afraid the photos weren’t doing it justice. This salad should be a strong contender for your Thanksgiving table. It could pull double-duty as a hearty vegetarian option and serve as wild rice stuffing. It’s also a great healthy weekday option as the holidays approach (leftovers pack well for lunch).
If you aren’t quite sold on the concept yet, I have a little story for you. My boyfriend usually claims that arugula is too “peppery” for his liking, and initially declined the salad. Then, he got a look at it and asked for a bite. Then, I heard, “This salad is really nice.” After a few more bites, “Why is this so good? What’s in it?” Finally, “This is so good. Will you make this for me on my birthday?” Victory!!!
Wild Rice and Arugula Salad Tips
To make this salad in advance: You’ll want to cook the wild rice beforehand, at minimum. You could also whisk together the dressing, and compose the salad (don’t toss it with the dressing until you’re ready to serve). Store any components in the fridge, covered, for up to two days.
You can cook the wild rice in your Instant Pot, if you have one. It turns out great, and it’s nice not to babysit the pot while it’s cooking. See the recipe notes for details (I learned how to cook wild rice this way when I made this wild rice salad, from Megan’s The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook.
Don’t skip the toasted almonds step. Toasting the almonds brings a lot of irresistible savory flavor to this salad! The almonds can burn quickly, so don’t step away from the stove while they’re cooking.
Crumble the feta by hand. I always recommend crumbling your feta (or goat cheese) with a fork before using, rather than buying the pre-crumbled kind. Pre-crumbled is coated in powder to prevent clumping, and it doesn’t taste nearly as good (it’s also more expensive per ounce). The only exception to this rule that I’ve found so far is the crumbled feta by Organic Valley.
You can easily double the recipe for a larger crowd. As written, it yields 4 medium hearty salads, or could be stretched to up to 8 side servings. The arugula wilts down quite a bit (which is nice), but the wilting effect does make the salad look less substantial than it really is.
Watch How to Make Arugula and Wild Rice Salad
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager for your feedback.
Looking for more Thanksgiving-worthy salads? Here are a few of my top picks:
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
- Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Balsamic Butternut, Kale and Cranberry Panzanella
- Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
Arugula and Wild Rice Salad
This wild rice salad includes arugula, dried cherries, toasted almonds and feta, tossed in a zippy lemon dressing! It’s gluten free, filling and delicious. Recipe yields 4 medium salads, or 8 small side servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (from one ⅔ ounce container)
- ½ cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
Lemon dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon), to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the wild rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow, for 40 minutes to 55 minutes, until the rice is pleasantly tender but still offers a light resistance to the bite. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and let the rice cool.
- To toast the almonds, warm one teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and a pinch of salt and cook until they’re turning lightly golden and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until blended.
- To assemble the salad, transfer the cooled rice to a large bowl. Add the arugula, chopped basil, almonds, sour cherries and feta. Pour in the dressing, toss well, and season to taste with additional salt (I usually add another pinch or two) and pepper. If the salad needs more fresh, bright flavor, add up to 1 tablespoon more lemon juice.
- Set the salad aside for 10 minutes before serving, to give the rice time to soak up some of the dressing. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for two to three days. You might need to wake up leftovers with an extra drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon (the rice absorbs the dressing over time).
Notes
Recipe inspired by Plenty More and my trip to Michigan to learn about tart cherries.
Make it vegan: Skip the feta cheese and substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas for the pecans.
Instant pot option: Add the wild rice and 1 ¼ cups water to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook option and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and give the rice a stir. Let the rice cool for at least 10 minutes before tossing with the remaining ingredients.
Change it up: You can change up the whole grains (farro would be my top pick), almonds (pecans or pepitas would be lovely), feta (goat cheese would work just as well), and dried cherries (simply use dried cranberries). If you can’t find fresh basil this time of year, you can safely omit it.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
the recipe for the salad dressing will that give more than what’s needed for the actual salads?
also this looks yummy :)
As to be expected with all C&K recipes, totally delicious!! I ran out of basil so used mint instead, worked really well.
Woohoo, thank you, Hannah! Mint sounds delicious.
I made this salad the other night, and then made it again the next day! It was fantastic! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
Thank you, Karen! :)
This was a great salad, thank you! Even a few days after I made it — and with wilted arugula — it was still a crowd pleaser because of the fantastic flavors. I used maple syrup and would do so again. Thanks!
Loved this salad! Delicious.
I have made this salad so many times – everyone loves it – kids, adults, veggie and meat lovers alike. Thank you!!
The arugula, wild rice, and dried cherry (in my case cranberry) salad is absolutely delicious! I was so upset the first time I made it, because there were no leftovers. My husband and 3 kids ate it all up! Now I know to make a double batch. Loved the veggie enchiladas too. I’m looking forward to trying your other recipes. Eating healthy is easier with yummy recipes! Thank you
Thank you, Melissa! Really happy to hear it. I’m also glad that I saw your comment right now, when I have a bag of arugula in the fridge and not much else! I think I’ll make this salad for dinner. :)
I am obsessed with this recipe. So glad I found your site. I have made it 4-5 times with cranberries. I usually make a batch and a half or double batch and eat it for lunches for several days. So good.
Yay! Thanks, Adrienne. Happy to hear it.
This salad is amazing! I was in a hurry, so I quickly pan heated the raw nuts, leftover wild rice, cherries, and dressing. I tossed them warm with the arugula and cheese (I did not have fresh basil in the house.) Fast and scrumptious- thank you Kate!
Thank you, Anouk! I’m so glad you loved the salad.
Just made this as a trial run for a Thanksgiving side salad option and my whole family LOVED it. What I appreciate most about the salad is how easy it is to make, but how complex and multi-layered the flavors are! And my pups loved cleaning up the leftovers :). Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this salad and it is perfect just the way it is! But here’s my question: I would like to make this for a group that includes someone who cannot eat nuts or cheese. Is there a seed you might recommend to replace the almonds? And I guess I’ll just not use cheese or do you recommend replacing it with something else?
Thank you!
I gave this recipe to my mom and she made it for thanksgiving. It is delicious and I can’t wait to have it again!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I left out the feta, because I’m vegan. I had planned on serving it on the side but we totally forgot! Loved the cherries and the rice together. It looked very festive and was very easy. I may make it again for Christmas.
I made this for some friends last weekend, and they DEVOURED it! It was really really lovely, thank you for creating it. I omitted the feta and used maple syrup to make it vegan and it was delicious.
Perfect! I’m so glad this was such a hit!
I am currently eating this right now! It’s so good!
I did make a few changes due to my dietary needs and what I had on hand. I subbed ACV for lemon juice (just 1 tbl instead of 2) in the dressing and added a little more dijon to it. I used hemp hearts instead of almonds, just sprinkling them on top of my bowl. I used defrosted frozen cherries and they were delicious. I also sprinkled some nutritional yeast on top instead of the feta. Delicious!
The wild rice is essential and such a nice touch. Worth the extra money it may cost for it!
Thanks again for another great recipe that’s quick, easy to assemble, and easy to modify for your individual needs.
Great! I love that you found it easy to swap out ingredients based on your needs–your version sounds excellent.
Was visiting my hometown Vancouver BC and my daughter and sister and I visited with an old childhood neighbor friend and she made this for us… couldn’t wait to get back to Montreal to make it… labour of love AND food too!
I’m so glad your friend shared this with you, Cynda!
You inspired me to use what I had and make my version of this salad. I had arugula and dried cherries, honey and garlic, and something like all the rest. It was quite tasty. I’ll try again, maybe planning ahead to have more of the ingredients you used.
I’m glad it worked out with what you had on hand!
Hi Kate – I’m in the process of making this – can’t wait to try! – and noticed that (of course) the cup of wild rice increased significantly in volume after cooking. Does the 1 cup measurement apply to the cooked or uncooked rice? Thanks!
So. I first made this recipe on the 9th of September 2015 and have been making it ever since; I’m going on a second date tonight with a girl I just met. She just moved into a new apartment with a smaller kitchen and has not been inspired to cook in it yet. It was also her birthday last week. So I’m going to serve four occasions with one recipe: her birthday, break in her new kitchen, and celebrate the 2 year anniversary since discovering this recipe—It’s the only salad I truly believe in; it’s quite amazing that a salad could be anything else—as to the fourth occasion: for THAT i’ll have to omit the garlic in the dressing ;)…. (thank you kate)
This recipe is outstanding!!
Thank you, Hannah!
Smashing recipe.
Thank you! I appreciate the comment and review, Jack :)
This looks yummy, Arugula is my favorite!!
I am also in KC, any thoughts on where to procure tart dried cherries?
TY
Well, hello! You can find them in the dried fruit/nuts area of most grocery stores. I know Trader Joe’s has some!
Another absolutely amazing recipe!. Thank you. Made this salad today, so I would have it in the refrigerator for a quick lunch over the next couple of days. It’s gone. My daughter tasted it and had to have a bowl, told my husband, and he had to have a bowl… I will make another batch tomorrow. You are a master at recipe creation, every one is fabulous!
You’re very welcome, Pam! Thank you for the review. The entire family had to have a bowl, love that.
Dear Kate,
I made this arugula salad several times. It’s so delicious and easy to make. My family and friends loved it. I have shared your website with several of my friends and family. My daughter in law already knew you as she has tried many of your recipes.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes. Well done!!!!
Thank you, Vinitha! I’m so happy to hear that. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
I clicked on the nutrition information but nothing seems to appear – would it be possible to get that for this salad that looks absolutely fantastic?
thanks!
Hi Heather! Make sure you allow cookies in your browser as this is a plug-in. Hopefully this helps!
This looks amazing! Am definitely going to make sure this ends up on our Thanksgiving menu.
Love that! This is great for Thanksgiving.
Looks so great, it has inspired me to make it for dinner tonight!
All ingredients are prepared, just waiting for the rice to cool down and drizzle away!
Thanks so much.
Susan
I’m so happy I inspired you! Thank you, Susan.
Just made this tonight for my family and it was great! It’s going in our standard rotation. We made it with leftover red rice we had in the fridge and added a little spinach we had on hand.
Thank you for sharing, Jeni!
Made this tonight and yummy! Will be a house regular. Substituted Camargue brown rice- living in Switzerland haven’t found wild rice. Used dried cranberries, would have loved to have the cherries. Overall delicious and satisfying. even hubby that doesn’t touch rice loved it!! BTW bought your cookbook…a real treasure.
Thanks so much for letting me know your thoughts on this recipe and for buying my cookbook! I appreciate it.
Wonderful recipes, I have made a similar salad and its always amazing!
Thank you for sharing, Ryan!
This salad is delicious! Thanks heaps
You’re welcome!
I just made this for lunch — it’s delicious (and I’m not an arugala lover). I used an arugala/baby spinach blend, farro and feta. Will definitely be making this again.
Hooray! I’m glad you tried it even though you don’t love arugula!
Eating this now…so awesome!
I have a sweat potato on the side as well.
Next is your roasted brussel sprouts!
Thank you for sharing, Bill! Two great recipes for sure.
This is a gorgeous and scrumptious salad! I made it vegan by using vegan cheese and little white balsamic for the kick, and I added a handful of roasted-salted pepitas just because. Absolutely amazing, and thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Thank you for trying it, Da! I appreciate your review.
This is a restaurant-quality meal at home! That’s the feedback I got from friends who I served it to. Even my husband, who isn’t always keen on salads, raved about it. Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Stacey! I’m glad it was a hit with your husband, too.
This was, as usual, yummy. I keeper. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!
Wow! I just made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow and it is incredible. I actually ate it warm (was starving and couldn’t wait for the rice to cool) and it was delicious. I can’t wait to have it cold tomorrow! The dressing is perfect but to me its the basil that sends this dish over the top. Thanks for hitting this one out of the park!
You’re welcome! What a great dish for Thanksgiving. I appreciate the review, Karen!
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. The skeptics were blown away! It was the biggest hit of the night. The only difference from your ingredients, I couldn’t find Wild Rice – I only found blends. So I substituted with Manitou Exotic Rice – Heirloom Black Rice. It was fantastic. I would suggest you try it and list it as an alternative to the Wild Rice. Everybody said make this again next time!
I’m glad they were blown away! This salad will do that for sure. Thanks for sharing, Jan!
You’re welcome!
You’re welcome!
I LOVE THIS SALAD. I’ve probably made it 25 times since you first posted the recipe. Needless to say, I’m obsessed.
Love that, CJ!! Thanks so much for sharing your excitement for this salad. 25 times, that’s awesome!
Thank you so much for posting this. I made it at Thanksgiving, and everyone loved it, and I have made several times since. It has become my favorite salad.
My local Whole Foods doesn’t seem to carry dried cherries so used cranberries instead.
I’m so happy you loved it! Cranberries works well too!
Glad to have found this recipe. Husband declares it to be one of the best he’s had! Nice and easy to toss together too.
I’m happy you found it too, Cindy! Thanks for commenting.
This looked and sounded delicious. I made it exactly as is and it was perfection. I love wild rice in any dish This was spectacular
I’m excited you loved every part! Thanks for you review, Marilyn.
Best salad EVER!!! Would not change a thing. Just discovered your site and it is absolutely wonderful!
Best ever?! Thank you, Ginnie!
I made this salad last night. Turned out great, really enjoyed the dressing and the mix of flavours was great. I think next time I will try it with cranberries though.
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
I make this as my weekly lunch salad incredibly frequently- I keep the nuts and dressing separate and add daily. I also double the amount of arrugula and this double the dressing as well but keep the rest of the ingredients the same
Thanks for sharing, Julia!
This may be the best salad I have ever had, which is saying something since i love salads and eat them almost daily. I’ve made this for dinner several times and even my husband and two year old love it. I’ve made it with tart cherries and other times with raisins when that is what I have on hand and both are amazing. I’d give the recipe 10 stars if I could! Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!
I’m happy to hear that, Bethany!
Dear Kate,
Thank you for another great recipe! It was really yummy. Greetings from Berlin.
Happy to hear you loved it!
Totally unexpected and delicious! I knew it would be good, but this is fantastic. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’m happy you were so thrilled! Thank you, Kristin.