This post is sponsored by Floating Leaf Fine Foods | Thank you for supporting the brands that I love + trust.
This Fall Harvest Wild Rice Medley is packed with warming sweet and savory flavors that pair perfectly with anything you might be planning to put on your table this holiday season. Imagine roasted beets, apples, squash, crunchy pepitas, kale, juicy pomegranate arils, and nutty wild rice tossed in a tangy maple and apple cider vinaigrette.
(As a bonus, this also makes for a delicious next-day lunch!)
I think the best part about whipping up seasonal recipes is the thirst we have for doing so as a new season approaches. When the smell of summer starts to fill the air, we crave cool cucumbers, crisp string beans, and grilled everything; when the cooler weather starts to creep in, our hunger for squash, apples, and cauliflower is real. In winter? Give us all of the citrus, soups, and stews please! And well, unfortunately Spring doesn’t seem to exist anymore—global warming ate that one up.
When it came to planning for seasonal content here at Killing Thyme, I wanted to do a better job at bringing side dishes to the table. I tend to stray toward mains, and with the holidays coming up, having a solid selection of sides is critical.
Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa.
To make this recipe as nutritious as it is delicious, I opted for Floating Leaf Fine Foods‘ Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa blend. In this particular blend, you’ll find lentils, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, and white sorghum. Simmered in vegetable broth, this blend fluffs up with so much flavor, which just adds to the blends natural nuttiness.
Floating Leaf Fine Foods products aren’t just versatile, they’re also ideal for those with specific dietary requirements like diabetes, celiac, or anyone looking for heart-healthy options. Their variety of grain and legume blends bring high quality plant-based proteins to your meals. For well-being, we should all be considering blends like this more often—and plain ol’ white rice a little less :)
To peruse their other beautiful blends, be sure to check out the company’s Website.
If you make this dish, snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme! I love seeing your creations, and you could be featured in my monthly newsletter <3
Fall Harvest Wild Rice Medley
Ingredients
Wild Rice Medley.
- 1 cup Floating Leaf Fine Foods Sprouted Crimson Lentil, Wild Rice and Quinoa Prairie Blend
- 3 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup cubed squash, roasted
- 1 cup cubed apples, roasted
- 1 cup cubed beets, roasted
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground sage
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup toasted pepitas
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale; washed, ribs removed
Maple and Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
- 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/8 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp Cracked black pepper
Garnish.
- Fresh pomegranate arils
Instructions
Wild Rice Medley.
- Pre-heat the oven to 420°F.
- Transfer the squash, apples, and beets to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and add all of the spices listed from the salt through to the nutmeg. Stir until everything is evenly coated. Then, spread the squash, apples, and beets out onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, o until the squash and beets are tender.
- While the veggies roast, combine 1 cup of the wild rice blend with 3 1/4 cups of vegetable broth in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and let it boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes has passed, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. When done, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice stand for 5 minutes; then fluff with a fork.
Maple and Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
- Add all of the ingredients to a small jar or bowl and shake/whisk the mixture until it's well-blended; set aside.
Assembly.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice blend with the roasted squash, apples, and beets. Add the toasted pepitas and kale, and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat. Garnish the salad with pomegranate arils and serve warm.
WOW. These photos are absolutely gorgeous, Dana! You really captured the freshness and vibrance of this fall harvest medley. I want to reach in and pluck those pomegranate arils! I’ll have to look for the Floating Leaf Fine Foods mix. What a great base for this, and so many dishes!
Thanks, girl! There’s just something about a seasonal fall/winter dish dotted with ruby red pomegranate arils <3
I hope you can find Floating Leaf's blends. They're so hearty, nutty, and delicious!
What a gorgeous side dish! It would definitely make a great side for Thanksgiving dinner. The vinaigrette sounds sweet and tangy. My kind of dressing!
What a beautiful side dish just bursting with color and vibrancy! This is a wonderful new idea to put a little spring into the step of my tired Thanksgiving side dish line up. Packed with tons of nutrition this would be great for meal prep as well!
Nothing beats a Thanksgiving side you can make a day in advance! ;)
This is one gorgeous salad. And it would be perfect for the holidays — so colorful and plus it is nutritious. Sometimes salads get overlooked during the holidays but this wouldn’t be so with the Fall Harvest Wild Rice Medley. A keeper!!
What a gorgeous salad. The colors are so vibrant. Love the clean ingredient list. This is definitely going on our thanksgiving buffet. A nice alternative to the gluttonous fare.
Pretty sure this is the prettiest salad ever!! I’m a huge fan of wild rice and always feel so much healthier eating it haha. Plus, pomegranate arils always make dishes look that much fancier. I could definitely eat this as a meal!
RIP Spring… :( But I totally hear you with all of the other seasonal flavors. So many things are synonymous with the changing weather and it just puts you right in the mood. Thank you for a great seasonal side dish – it does seem like all you see are the main dishes. Love the color this brings to a table, too!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed springs passing. So sad! Remember when spring jackets were a thing? Ha. Now we go from sweaters to t-shirts and shorts within a week.
The colours of your salad are so beautiful and vibrant! I need to get my hands on that wild rice blend because it sounds delicious! I’ll definitely be looking forward to subbing out my plain white rice for this blend instead.
I will definitely look for this quinoa wild rice blend. I haven’t seen this before at my local market but maybe I just didn’t notice. This looks like what we need. Hubby needs to cut down carbs and I have been looking for a substitute that he likes. Going to try this as soon as I find some. Thanks for this, your salad looks amazing!
The best part about the changing seasons is how you can switch up ingredients in salads — instead of tomatoes and cucumbers, head into tender roasted squash, beets and apples. This is an absolutely glorious mix — and your maple vinaigrette sounds really delicious and would tie all of these flavors together. I’m going to be on the lookout for that lentil, quinoa, wild rice blend. That sounds so healthy & delish.
Yes! There’s always a reason to get excited about salads. Seasonal beauties, they are <3
This dish is SO GORGEOUS! It’s got everything I crave in the fall and holiday season. Love that wild rice blend!
Ooo I love any excuse to add squash to a meal! That grain packet looks delicious too– I’ll look for it! Grains, veggies, and a dressing– it’s such a perfect combination! I could totally see chowing down on this for lunch the next day- I love leftovers like this!
Me too! This is great warm or cold so it’s awesome for just grabbing a quick bowl for lunch. Don’t have to worry about reheating or anything. Oh, the luxury! ;)
Roasted squash and beets <3 And then you add kale and pomegranate! An absolutely perfect meal.
So gorgeous! Love this vibrant mix!
This has so many of my favorite ingredients in it! Love it!
Loving all of this! The roasted veggies, nourishing grains and that awesome dressing. YUM!
When you serve wild rice, it always looks so fancy. Makes your guests feel like they are in a fine dining restaurant. Love all the colours and textures happening here. What a great side dish for any dinner.
I’ve never had beets before which sounds crazy I know but I have heard they’re sweet so I know they’d be a BOMB addition to this already amazingly tasty melody of YUM! :)
Omgosh…squash, apples, beets, with grains?! Yummmm all day…because I would not stop eating this gorgeous number! I happen to love maple and apple cider vinaigrette too, so this combo is a home run in my book. Looks like I need to get my hands on that wild rice medley too! Can’t wait to put this one on the holiday table. Thanks for sharing!
Everything in this salad looks and sounds SO good–truly perfect for fall.
This salad is just the way I want to eat right now — it’s like fall in a bowl! This is such a great way to use Floating Leaf’s delicious prairie blend!
This is such a great dish! Love love love all the seasonal flavors. And it’s so good with Floating Leaf. Their rice is the best!
This pretty salad has just made its way to the top of my Thanksgiving menu, I know it’s going to be a hit. I love the sound of that grain blend, I don’t think I’ve ever had a sprouted crimson lentil!
Dana, i’m crushing on this beautiful bowl and have already sent it to my American cousins so they can make it for Thanksgiving. Just fabulous!