Roasted Cranberry, Wild Rice and Kale Salad
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I seriously can’t believe that I’ve flipped my calendar to November and we’ve only got a few short weeks until holiday madness galore. Besides the first few days of summer, these moments, right here, are my favorite of the year. Fall is in full-force in St. Louis and I’m loving every second of it. California is amazing, but seasons it did not have. Currently, the trees look like they are on fire, with brilliant streaks of amber, gold and cranberry red. The air has just enough chill in it that soup is finally a welcome dinner and I don’t have to plan my runs before the heat of the day sets in.
The fact that it’s November also means my b.i.g. trip is officially over. With it comes a crazy mix of joy, contentment and letdown that the thing you’ve been planning for months and months and months is finally over. Glad that it happened, sad that it’s finished. That’s the state of mind I’ve been in for the last few days. Still half-drunk on jetlag and not enough sleep, but so excited to get back into the swing of things that I can’t be stopped. Half-asleep cooking may just be where I do my best work.
I’m also welcoming back the vegetables in full-force! After non-stop pizza, gelato and pasta the last few weeks (❤︎), I’m in desperate need of some greens and superfoods. Cranberries, to the rescue. I love fresh cranberries so much; I stock up on them now to freeze for use throughout the year. You don’t even have to prep them, just stick a bag (or 10) in the freezer in the package you bought them on. They are so incredibly refreshing in my healing smoothie and a must for my cranberry-orange ginger bread. I made that bread almost weekly last holiday season and I have a feeling my next batch is going to happen in the next few days. Seriously, you know it’s Fall when a loaf of quick-bread is cooling on the counter.
I cannot stop roasting fruit. Every time I think I’m going to do something different, I find myself throwing fresh fruit into the roasting pan, ready to be caramelized to perfection. These roasted cranberries are like candy; beautifully tart on this kale salad and just as yummy eaten by the handful (or stirred into vodka for a cocktail that is 👌).
Bonus points that not only are fresh cranberries gorgeous (that color!), a serving is a good source of vitamin C and fiber; provides antioxidant polyphenols; and contains only 1 mg of sodium. I can’t get enough of their big, bright flavor, especially when paired with toasted almonds, crunchy kale and wild rice.
This fall cranberry salad is a must for holiday gatherings. Though I won’t be cooking for our actual Thanksgiving, I plan on having a few casual Friendsgivings over the next month or two. Yup, even when Thanksgiving is done and over- you can still have a Friendsgiving. As I’ve mentioned a gazillion times before, there is nothing I love more than cooking for those I love. And really, isn’t that what Friendsgiving is all about?
My cranberry friends want you to celebrate with friends too! If you make this salad (or any cranberry creation), snap a photo and post it on social with #FriendsgivingCranberryContest. You can enter to win one of eight $500 prizes! (For full contest rules, head here). Prizes and food!? It’s the perfect holiday combo.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Roasted Cranberry, Wild Rice and Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 6 cups Tuscan kale, finely chopped
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- Maple-Apple Dressing
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss cranberries with olive oil, thyme and sugar. Place in a glass baking sheet and roast until softened and slightly caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
- Toss kale, chopped pecans, wild rice and roasted cranberries together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, shallot, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the salad and massage until wilted. Serve immediately.