By Rev. Chef Beth Love
This is a great dish to bring to a holiday gathering or potluck. A profusion of color entices you to dive in, and a wealth of diverse flavors flows into your mouth with every bite!
Yield:
About 4 quarts
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups wild rice
- 4½ cups water or veggie stock
- 2 cups celery, thinly sliced
- ½ cup red onion, minced
- 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut in thin 1” long strips
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup dried goldenberries
- 1 apple, cut in small pieces
- 1 pear, cut in small pieces
- ¾ cup pecan pieces
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice, or more to taste
- ½–1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
- Rinse rice. Cook in water or stock, covered, until all liquid is gone, about 55 minutes. Cool.
- When rice is cool, mix together all ingredients, starting with ¼ cup lemon juice.
- Taste and add more lemon juice to taste.
- Serve.
Notes, Substitutions, and Variations:
- This recipe has a fairly large yield, intended to make two to four meals for a small family. At Tastes Like Love, we call this “Planned Overs.” You can reduce quantities if you will not be able to use the amount the recipe yields.
- This recipe does not include added salt. It is so flavorful that many people will enjoy it as is. If you don’t find it tasty enough, the serving suggestion would be to add a little more lemon or some rice vinegar or wine vinegar. The taste buds for salt and sour are close together, and often dishes with sufficient acid decrease the probability that people will reach for salt.
- You can add additional vegetables, for example sliced snap peas, edamame, diced zucchini, tiny caulifllorets, or diced watermelon or other radish.
- You can substitute a different type of whole grain rice such as brown basmati or red rice. These types of rice cook more quickly and use less water. Use 2 cups of rice and 3¾ cups of stock or water. Or use a mixture of different types of rice.
- Try dried cranberries or sour cherries in place of the goldenberries.
- Substitute Asian pears, nectarines, strawberries, mango, kiwi, or other fresh fruits for the apple and pear.
- Try a different fresh herb or combination of herbs, for instance mint, basil, or cilantro.
- Vary the nut, for instance using hazelnuts or pine nuts.
- Serve this salad on a bed of fresh greens for a one-dish meal.
The upcoming book Desserts in the Raw is in the Tastes Like Love series by Eat for the Earth’s founder and Executive Director Beth Love. This recipe is used by permission of the author.