Wild Rice Salad

Wild Rice Salad

with Cranberries and Orange

(my favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving)

Ingredients

Serves 8 to 10

• 3 cups wild rice
• Salt
• 4 blood oranges, or navel oranges
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 scallions, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped (1/2 cup)

Directions

1. Cook wild rice in a large pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 40 minutes. Drain in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith from oranges; holding oranges over a bowl to catch the juice, remove segments from white membrane; place segments in the bowl.
3. Combine vinegars, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine rice, scallions, dried cranberries, parsley, and orange sections and their juice. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad, gently toss, season, and serve.

From Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1995/1996

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Wild Rice Salad - Martha Stewart Recipes 

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I don't cook very much but I have a few things that I make that are sure fire hits.

I'll be spending Thanksgiving at my friend, Shannon's house. 

I was told to bring a vegetable.

I always bring this.

It is the very best Thanksgiving salad.

Works great for Christmas too.

Sometimes we have it at Christmas scooped into the center of baked acorn squash.

I actually, never measure anything when making this salad...except the rice.
And many times I'll do half rice, half barley or something like that.

Orzo is good too.

I just pour and dump what seems right. You really can't mess it up.

I always use canned mandarin oranges instead and I always put some sort of nut in it too. 

Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, both are good. 

I pour in orange juice too.

I make it the night before because the longer it sets...the better it gets.
It's even better on day three.

I first had this salad at Dean and Deluca's in New York City. 

I didn't have the recipe so I guessed at what was in it. 

The first time I made it with fresh cranberries...that was a mistake...of course...
I had to dump sugar in it. It really was not good. 

But then I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com and it works beautifully.

The dried cranberries are really what makes this so tasty. 

After it's set in the refrigerator over night...those dried cranberries plump up
and seem like they are fresh...when they are not.

This makes such a beautiful salad...I put lots of parsley in it and serve it in a silver bowl.

Update Dec. 10, 2010: 
I'm sharing this recipe at

"Your Favorite Christmas Recipe"