This one-pot Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts Salad is a warm hug in a bowl! It’s an easy side dish with just a few ingredients but has all the cozy fall feelings!
Are you loving this fall weather? Are you sporting all your favorite sweaters and boots during the day? Cozying up with comfy socks and blankets at night? Getting your favorite chili and soups on the menu? Yeah, me too. And while I’m all about some comfort food dinners, I still want to keep it fairly low-key. Cause, you know, life. So this one-pot, warm Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts Salad is perfect for a two-in-one side dish: your grains and your veggies cook together for easy eats and easy clean-up!
WILD RICE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD
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Plus, you’ve got the depth of flavor that wild rice brings, the warmth of some Brussels sprouts and it’s got some dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar to finish it off! (Despite its ease – or maybe because of it – I also think this makes a stellar holiday side dish!)
The technique here is just what I do with my one-pot broccoli cheese brown rice. (A family favorite – you should definitely check it out!) The rice is started then the finely chopped Brussels sprouts are placed in the saucepan on top of the wild rice to cook and tenderize as the rice finishes, then everything is mixed together. Add your seasonings and toppings and voila! Done and done! It’s just as easy as making Citrus Roasted Brussels Sprouts, another one pan favorite at my house.
Wondering what to serve this with? This salad would go great with my 3-ingredient balsamic pork tenderloin with thyme or this chicken piccata or Southern oven fried chicken. Wishing you cozy dinners this fall with some yummy, but easy, home cooked meals!
Want more wild rice recipes?
- Slow Cooker Mushroom & Wild Rice Pilaf
- Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
- Summer Wild Rice Salad
- Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
- Cranberry Pear Walnut Rice Pilaf
- More side dish recipes…
Tools used to make this Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts Salad recipe
Large Skillet: This skillet is my go-to kitchen tool. It’s large circumference and high sides make it perfect for cooking anything from one pan meals to soups and sauces.
Knives: A good set of kitchen knives is essential for any cook. This set is the best one I’ve owned so far and it comes with a knife block, steak knives, and an array of larger knives perfect for all your slicing, chopping, and cutting needs.
Cutting Board: A good-sized cutting board is a must for home cooks. This board is thick & sturdy and makes recipe prep a breeze.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups wild rice
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add wild rice and stir to coat in the oils.
- Add water and bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep Brussels sprouts by trimming off the ends and thinly shredding the sprouts.
- Add shredded Brussels sprouts on top of the rice, cover and cook on low for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Uncover, stir Brussels sprouts into the wild rice mix, then cover and let sit a final 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, add 2T dried cranberries per serving and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot.
Notes
You can omit the red pepper flakes for less heat.
You can cook the rice in water if you'd prefer.
You can add some Parmesan cheese for serving if you'd like.
Nutrition
Gretta says
25 minutes for wild rice? What kind of wild rice are you using?
Julie Kotzbach says
Hi Gretta! The wild rice cooks for a total of 20 minutes and rests for 5 minutes once it’s done cooking. 🙂
Ben says
What should the texture of the rice and brussel sprouts be when it is done? I wasn’t sure if there was a problem with how I made it when the rice ended being a little stiff and the sprouts being somewhat still crunchy.
Jennifer Kimmel says
Hello Ben! This should be cooked though and tender. Make sure to thinly slice or shred your Brussels sprouts to help.