Packed with all kinds of fall goodness and tossed in a maple orange dressing, this harvest wild rice salad is the perfect fall side dish for any occasion!

Fall salads like this one are just another reminder that salad season doesn’t stop just cause the temperatures are cooler! If anything, we’re just getting more creative with it.

Enter, the most loaded wild rice salad you’ll ever have the pleasure of piling your plate with. Seriously, I packed this one to capacity and it’s a thing of beauty.

We’ve got all the fall works at play here today including crisp apples, toasted nuts, salty pepitas, sweet maple dressing, and even some juicy pomegranate seeds for some extra color!

The wild rice in this salad makes it incredibly hearty and more than worthy for any dinner table, packed lunch, or even a side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Just don’t forget to taste test it straight from the bowl first like I did.

This Rice Salad features…

Hearty wild rice and greens
Crisp apples, toasted pecans, and pepitas
Tangy feta, sweet pomegranate seeds, and a hint of fresh rosemary
A sweet and tangy maple orange vinaigrette

Making the Salad

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Orange
Maple syrup
Dijon mustard
Apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Wild rice
Apple
Pecans
Pomegranate seeds
Feta cheese
Pepitas
Spring greens mix
Rosemary

How to Cook Wild Rice

Using the following method will yield you about 2 cups of cooked wild rice which is the amount this salad calls for.

Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil over medium-high, add 3/4 cup wild rice, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and allow to simmer 35-40 minutes until the wild rice is tender. Drain any excess liquid from pot and allow wild rice to cool.

Tips for Perfect Salad

Use fresh orange in dressing – both fresh orange juice and zest adds a lot of citrus flavor to the dressing.
Toast pecans – this adds an incredible crunch to the salad and brings out the nutty flavors. To toast pecans, toss them around in a nonstick pan over medium heat 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
Serve salad immediately after assembly – this keeps all the ingredients fresh and crisp. Keep reading for make-ahead tips!

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

Try a different nut – try toasted almonds or walnuts in place of the pecans.
Use pears – a diced pear works great in place of the apple.
Swap out cheeses – try cubed sharp cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, goat cheese, or blue cheese.

Make Ahead Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

Make dressing – the dressing stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
Cook wild rice – cooked wild rice stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
Toast pecans – toast the pecans, allow to cool, and store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Assembly – once salad is assembled and tossed in dressing, I recommend serving it immediately so the greens stay crisp.

The variety of flavors and textures in this salad just work to perfection together. The sweet maple orange dressing is really the secret weapon here and coats every inch of the wild rice and other ingredients with all its goodness.

More than a worthy choice for any fall table! Just make sure you have the recipe on standby for all the requests you’re about to get.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More hearty fall salads to make next!

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