Wild Rice Harvest Salad
There's a moment that shows up sometime in late August — the air is a little cooler before the sun fully commits, and something in you starts craving those cooler temps and comforting meals. Some call it false fall, but I call it a state of mind. This salad is for that moment. It's not quite fall yet, but you’re ready for the flavor and mood it creates.
Why Wild Rice Belongs in Your Fall Rotation
Wild rice isn't actually rice — it's a grass seed, which is part of why it has that deep, nutty flavor and satisfying chew that regular rice doesn't. It holds up beautifully to warm dressings and roasted vegetables without turning mushy, which makes it one of the easiest grains to build a make-ahead salad around. Cook a big batch on Sunday, and you've got the base for lunches through most of the week. It is good cold or warm making it a perfect grain for this time of year.
Building the Flavor
Here's the part that makes this salad taste like more effort than it actually is: instead of just drizzling Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil over the finished dish, we cook the mushrooms and shallots in it first. As they soften and caramelize, they pull the earthy, herbal notes right out of the oil and into the vegetables themselves — so the flavor isn't just sitting on top, it's built into every bite.
A couple minutes of garlic at the end wakes everything back up right before it goes in the bowl.
The Finish
Once everything's warm and fragrant, a good drizzle of Apricot White Balsamic ties the whole dish together — soft apricot sweetness with just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the roasted mushrooms and toasted nuts. It's the kind of finishing touch that makes people ask what's in the dressing.
The Recipe
Wild Rice Harvest Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked wild rice, still slightly warm
1 cup sliced mushrooms (cremini or a mix)
1 small shallot or 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
2 cups baby arugula or spinach
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)
Dressing:
3 tbsp Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil
2 tbsp Apricot White Balsamic
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
Heat 1-2 tbsp of Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and mushrooms, and sauté until soft and slightly caramelized, about 8–10 minutes.
Add garlic and cook 1–2 minutes more, until fragrant.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together separately.
Toss warm wild rice with the mushroom mixture, greens, apricots, nuts, and cheese.
Finish with the dressing and fresh sage. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Featured Product: Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil
This is one of our most quietly versatile oils — earthy, herbal, and just savory enough to build a dish around rather than just finish one. It's the kind of oil that turns "sauté the vegetables" into the best part of the recipe, not just a step on the way there.
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