Pomegranate Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad

roast squash and wild rice salad with pomegranates

5 from 3 votes

Pomegranate Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad

This isn't your average wild rice salad! For added flavor, the wild rice is cooked with pomegranate juice before being tossed with roasted squash, sliced scallions, crunchy hazelnuts, and pomegranate arils.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: roasted squash salad, wild rice salad

Servings: cups

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

For Salad

1 cup wild rice
2 cups water
1 cup (8oz) pomegranate juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 small acorn squash skin washed
½ cup sliced scallions
½ cup skinned hazelnuts toasted and chopped
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
½ cup fresh basil chopped
1½ cups pomegranate arils

For Dressing

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Cook the rice: Put water, pomegranate juice, salt and wild rice into a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until rice has popped and is tender. Drain rice in a colander.
Roast the squash: Heat oven to 425ºF. Cut squash into quarters and remove seeds and stem. Cut each piece into ½ inch slices. Brush squash slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Stirring once half-way through.
Make the dressing: For dressing combine pomegranate juice, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl combine the rice, squash, scallions, nuts, herbs and pomegranate arils. Mix in half the dressing.
Serve salad with remaining dressing for anyone who wants to add more.

Notes

You can use cranberry juice in place of the pomegranate juice. The flavor will not be a sweet and pronounced.

Nutrition