Wild Rice Salad

I tried a version of this wild rice salad at Crosby's Kitchen in Chicago, and it was aaaaamazing! If by chance you are ever in the Lakeview area of Chicago, I highly recommend checking them out. I picked through the ingredients trying to determine what was in it so I could immediately go home and whip it up. I have to say it came pretty darn close, almost identical to Crosby's version! I didn't exactly measure all the ingredients, so these are really just benchmarks. You may want to add more or less vinegar depending on your taste. I made this when I went to my parents house for a BBQ and everyone loved it. It's a great party dish because the longer ahead you make it, the better it tastes and it is also mayo free, so it can sit outside for a long while. 


Ingredients:

• 2 cups wild/brown rice mix
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/2 olive oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup champagne vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

Cook rice according to package directions; careful not to overcook, you don't want the rice to be mushy. Once cooked, place rice in the fridge to cool down while you prep your other ingredients. 

Add chopped onion, pepper and cranberries to a medium serving bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, toast your almonds in a dry small frying pan on medium heat until just slightly browned, about 2 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together the balsamic, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Remove rice from the fridge (cooled to room temp is fine) adding it to the bowl with the veggies. Drizzle the mixture with the vinaigrette, mix well. Add the toasted almonds and lightly toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately.