Avocado & mango wild rice salad is a nourishing side dish loaded with all the delicious flavors! Made with wild rice, crunchy nuts, sweet mango and savory feta cheese with a simple citrus vinaigrette.
Wild Rice Salad
This sweet and savory wild rice salad is the perfect spring or summer dish made with the simplest ingredients and packed with so much flavor.
I served it with some breaded cod last week for dinner, and enjoyed the leftovers throughout the week for lunch. It’s the perfect hearty dish to make with all the fresh flavors.
The wild rice acts as the perfect base to this salad, and is a nutrient-dense whole-grain to add into your meal prep rotation.
It’s made with a blend of black, red, brown and white rice. It has a nutty flavor, and adds the perfect heartiness to this dish. It’s a good source of B vitamins, and adds a little extra fiber and protein to this meal.
What you’ll need for this citrus wild rice salad
The salad is made with just a few simple, yet delicious ingredients, then tossed in citrus vinaigrette. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Wild rice blend– I prefer a blend with different rice varieties for a bigger flavor profile. You may even find some with quinoa for added nutrients
- Baby kale or arugula
- Mango- yellow mangos are ideal in this recipe because they’re soft and sweet
- Avocado- be sure to use an avocado that’s still slightly firm
- Mixed roasted nuts- or sub 1 or 2 types of you favorite nuts
- Feta cheese- a must for some saltiness
- Red onion- for a little added flavor
The citrus vinaigrette is one of my favorite spring salad recipes and brings all of the flavors together.
How to serve this dish
For best results, you can serve this salad with freshly made rice at room temperature. Since the veggies are already mixed in, I typically serve the leftovers cold the following couple of days.
You can enjoy this alone for a lighter lunch, or pair it with a protein like salmon or a bean-based burger.
This simple recipe is nutritious, flavorful, and a delicious side dish to any meal! I can’t wait for you guys to try it 🙂
What to serve with your wild rice salad:
Hot Honey Salmon Bites
Herb Crusted Cod
Tuna Burgers
Avocado & Mango Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 4 cups baby kale, arugula or greens of choice
- 1 avocado
- 1 mango
- 1/2 cup mixed roasted nuts, or nuts of choice, chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 red onion
Citrus Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- Salt & pepper
Directions
- Cook the wild rice as instructed on package. Lightly season with salt and fluff with a fork.
- While the rice cooks, cut the avocado, mango and feta into cubes, and dice the red onion.
- Prepare the citrus vinaigrette by whisking or blending all of the dressing ingredients together.
- Once the rice is ready, add the greens to a bowl with the cooked rice, chopped veggies, cheese and chopped nuts.
- Pour half of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Add more dressing as needed, based on preference. I used 3/4 of the amount of dressing and saved the rest in the fridge.
- Serve at room temperature or cold with your favorite protein.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Made this twice already and it’s absolutely delicious! The sweetness from the mango, the tartness from the dressing, crunch from the nuts – all of it combined makes for a nutritious and satisfying meal. I’ve added air fried salmon to this! Going to add shrimp next time. My husband also approved!
Thank you so much, Manpreet! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it.