Tomatoes, basil, caramelized onions, white beans, and bacon combine to make this wild rice salad extra delicious!
Rice…such a staple in the gluten free diet. It’s perfect in soups, perfect for side dishes, and just delicious as a salad, too.
The caramelized onions and bacon give this wild rice salad a rich and savory flavor, and the tomatoes and basil add a nice pop of color and freshness. White beans add protein, and this colorful salad is finished off with a balsamic vinaigrette.
This savory wild rice salad is wonderful when it’s warm and freshly mixed together, but it also works really well as a cold salad, too. Make this as a side dish at dinnertime, then enjoy the leftovers as lunch the next day!
This savory wild rice salad is so delicious, I think you’ll love it! It’s:
- easy to make
- great for a side dish or a lunch salad
- tasty to bring to a picnic or party
Savory Wild Rice Salad with Bacon.
A colorful and flavorful salad made with wild rice, bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes, white beans, and basil.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 235 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 red onions sliced thin
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 slices nitrate-free bacon cooked and crumbled
- 15 ounces navy beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced
- 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves
For the Dressing:
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Make the rice: Place one cup of wild rice blend, 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes, until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
- While the rice cooks, caramelize the onions: place the sliced red onions and the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are brown and soft, for about 45-60 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, sea salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the salad: In a large bowl, place the wild rice blend, caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, navy beans, grape tomatoes, and basil. Mix together.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then stir to coat. If you are not serving the salad immediately, keep the salad and the dressing separate until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Savory Wild Rice Salad with Bacon.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 235 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 298mg 12%
Potassium 388mg 11%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 8g 32%
Sugars 3g
Protein 6g 12%
Vitamin A 4.7%
Vitamin C 8.6%
Calcium 6.4%
Iron 10.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy rice?
This salad looks delicious, Kelly! I love that you caramelized the onions in here. Such a great touch! And your pictures are gorgeous, too!
Growing up Chinese, rice was a huge staple of my diet. I’d love to try a bacon-free version of this! Yum!
It’s really good without bacon, too!
Rice is my all-time favorite grain and this salad is sheer brilliance! LOVE caramelized onions and I can taste all those flavors through my computer screen!
Wow – this is like all my favorite ingredients in one pot. Admittedly, this is something I would make with pasta (Italian girl) but I love all different varieties of rice and am cooking with them more than ever. Gotta replenish my wild rice supply to make this.
All my fave foods: Bacon, beans and balsamic (wow- I just noticed they all start with B)! (: I’ll be making this for sure!
I love a good wild rice salad and this is looking fantastic with all that veggie and bacon goodness! Gotta try this!
I just love rice of ALL kinds. This wild rice salad sounds delicious! I can definitely see making a big batch of this and eating it for lunch for the week. Yum!
Thanks so much, Natalie!