It’s officially fall! Everybody grab your pumpkins! I thought I would start off with something healthy, bright and delicious. In all honestly, I’ve been using pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree in my recipes for over a month now. shhh! I absolutely love all things autumn. From the pumpkin and apple picking, to the beautiful gradient colors on the leaves and most of all, I love all the goodness that the fall harvest yields. So, to kick off the start of delicious fall eating, let’s make this wild rice fall harvest salad with maple tahini. And it’s completely vegan!
I really enjoy a good salad and in my opinion, the perfect salad is a bit of sweet and a bunch of savory components, but most importantly, TEXTURE! And this salad has all of that, so good and filling!
Wild Rice Fall Harvest Salad With Maple Tahini
Wild rice- It really gives this salad a hearty flavor and texture.
Roasted Butternut squash– An absolute favorite.
Kale– I use raw kale. I love the crunchiness.
Brussels sprout– In a salad I use shaved Brussels sprouts. I usually buy them or use my Mandolin for this.
Cranberries– A much needed and delicious sweet component. You can use any dried fruit you have on hand.
Apple & pear– Diced or sliced, both delicious necessary components in this harvest salad.
Pecans– You could use whatever nuts you prefer. I love pecans with a maple based dressing. A perfect pair.
Scallions– Or red onion.
I mix this all up in a salad bowl, or if i’m serving this to guests, I arrange it on the plate like a rice bowl and serve the dressing on the side. The dressing Is a simple blend of tahini, maple, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic.
How to make a maple tahini dressing
- Start with adding tahini, vinegar and maple syrup to a small bowl. Whisk in some olive oil. Stir to blend.
- Next, add in some salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder. Mix to combine. Stir in a few tbsp of water to thin it out. Serve on top or on the side of your salad.
If you’re serving this salad as a starter, it’s perfect for 4 people. Or 2.
Wild Rice Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini
Equipment
- Salad bowl
- Tongs
- Small Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked wild rice
- ¾ cup shaved brussels sprouts
- ¾ cup chopped kale
- ½ cup roasted butternut squash or boiled
- ½ apple diced or sliced (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
- ½ pear diced or sliced (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
- ¼ cup pecans
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp chopped scallions
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Maple Tahini Dressing
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp vinegar acv or white vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsbs water
Instructions
Salad
- Add all of your ingredients to a salad bowl, mix to combine or arrange side by side, as pictured, if serving to guests. Serve the dressing on top or on the side. Enjoy!
Dressing
- In a small bowl, add your tahini, vinegar and maple. Whisk in your olive oil and add your seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Add in your water. The tahini will be too thick without water. I used 2 tbsp for the perfect consistency, but you can use more for a thinner dressing.
Notes
- This salad is very interchangeable. If you don’t have butternut squash you could use pumpkin or sweet potato.
- You could also use whatever rice you have on hand, but the wild rice really makes this salad hearty!
- Any dried fruit will work in this salad. I’ve also tried apricots. Delicious.
- You can also use spinach if you don’t have any kale.
- This maple tahini dressing is slightly sweet and nutty. The addition of maple and vinegar, cuts through that. And the addition of water will give you a thinner consistency. Perfect for dressing a salad.
