A Festive, Flavorful Holiday Dish

Gingery Wild & Basmati Rice Salad with Apricots

Recipe courtesy of Prepared Foods Director Sandy Sonnenfelt, Market Hall Foods

This salad is festive, easy to make, oh-so-pretty, and full of flavor⁠—an ideal contribution to any holiday table. During festive feasting, try topping this dish with duck confit, which has been crisped in a pan and then shredded.

Serves 6–8

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting time
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hours 30 minutes

Dressing
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger (plus any accumulated ginger juice)
2 teaspoons chopped crystalized ginger
4 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad
1 cup wild rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups red cabbage, very thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced on diagonal
4 celery stalks, sliced crosswise
1 cup dried apricots, julienned
1 Pink Lady or Honey Crisp apple, medium dice

For the dressing, grate the fresh ginger. (Use a mircroplane grater if you have one.) Combine the grated ginger (along with any accumulated ginger juice), crystalized ginger, champagne vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes so the flavors can meld. Whisking continuously, slowly add the olive oil to the ginger mixture. Adjust the seasoning and set aside.

To cook the wild rice, bring 8 cups of water or stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the wild rice. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 25–30 minutes or until the rice is tender and just starting to pop. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon of dressing while the rice is still warm. Set aside to cool.

To cook the basmati rice, bring 8 cups of water or stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the basmati rice and simmer on medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes until the rice is tender. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon of dressing. Set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, mix the cooled wild and basmati rice together, toss with the remaining dressing, and gently mix in all other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.