Description
A festive and flavorful wild rice blend featuring dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and a hint of orange zest. This easy, naturally gluten-free side dish is perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice under cold water for 20–30 seconds to remove excess starch.
- In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice and toast for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40–45 minutes until tender and most liquid is absorbed.
- While the rice cooks, toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the mix-ins: chop green onions and parsley, measure cranberries, and zest the orange if using.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Transfer rice to a large mixing bowl. Add cranberries, toasted pecans, green onions, parsley, orange zest, and maple syrup. Toss gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or maple syrup as needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
For a vegan version, use olive oil and vegetable broth. To make it nut-free, substitute pecans with pumpkin or sunflower seeds. The dish can be served warm or chilled as a salad. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup per serv
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 6
Keywords: wild rice, cranberry, pecan, holiday side dish, gluten-free, vegetarian, Thanksgiving, Christmas