Wild Rice Pesto Salad

Wild Rice Pesto Salad

This is actually my lunch that I took to work last week. I need to get in the habit of posting my recipes earlier. Anyway, most of the cooking I do has to stand the test of time because I cook in bulk and then eat through out the week or sometimes within 10 days or so. This wild rice salad is something that I ate for a week and really enjoyed it. It had the right about of fresh flavor and kept me full for a long time. Plus, it tasted fantastic with the Feta Salsa I sprinkled over it.



Wild rice is not something that I eat regularly but I am trying to eat different things now so I find myself reaching for the less explored options on the shelf. I had this vision of a rice salad dressed in pesto for a while so when I looked in the pantry and saw that I had wild rice, I figured it was time to make the salad. The pesto dressing for this salad can actually be used for a variety of things. I see myself making a breakfast of poached egg on toasted English muffin drenched in this pesto dressing some morning soon.

Kale and Basil Pesto

Wild Rice Pesto Salad With Spring Vegetables

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
2 Cups of Uncooked Wild Rice
1 Corn on Cob
2 Cups of Shelled and Cooked Fava Beans
1 Cup of Shelled and Cooked English Peas
1 Cup of Baby Kale leaves
2/3 Cup of Toasted Pine Nuts
1 Garlic Clove
1/3 Cup of Olive Oil
1/2 Cup of Basil leaves

Instructions
1. Cook the wild rice according to instructions on the box.
2. While rice is cooking, blanch the corn in hot water for three minutes or so then cut the corn kernels off the cob.
3. In a blender, add in the olive oil, 1/2 cup of pine nuts, garlic clove, kale and half of the basil leaves. Blend the mix. Thin out the pesto with about 4 tablespoons of hot water. Season with salt and pepper.

Dressing the hot wild rice in pesto

5. When the rice is done cooking, transfer still hot rice to a big bowl and add in the pesto. Mix quickly. Then toss in the corn, English peas and Fava beans. Mix.

Green Mix of Wild Rice and Vegetable 

6. Once the vegetables have been mixed well into the rice, add in the remaining toasted pine nuts and tear the left-over basil leaves over the rice. Serve.