Apple Wild Rice Salad

4.34 from 3 votes

Apple Wild Rice Salad is a beautiful and delicious salad with layers of spinach and romaine lettuce, apples, grapes, cranberries, and walnuts with a creamy homemade avocado yogurt dressing. Perfect salad for entertaining a crowd and holiday gatherings.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

Avocado Greek Yogurt Dressing

1 avocado
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

apple Wild Rice Salad

8 ounces bacon
1 head romaine lettuce
5 ounces baby spinach
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 apples, chopped and tossed in orange juice
1 ½ cups red grapes, halved
¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¾ cup feta

Instructions

Prepare the wild rice according to the package directions. To add more flavor to the wild rice, cook it in chicken broth or vegetable broth. If using canned wild rice, drain and rinse it well.
Make the salad dressing. Add the avocado, Greek yogurt, zest of one orange, maple syrup, Dijon, and apple cider vinegar to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy.
Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces, fry until crispy, and set them on a paper towel lined plate.
Chop the apples and toss the apple chunks in the juice of the orange.
Halve the grapes and chop the green onions.
Assemble the salad by placing each layer in a clear bowl, focusing on the outer edges and filling in the center with lettuce, as needed. This is the order I follow:
Mixture of chopped romaine and baby spinach
Wild rice
Chopped apples
Halved grapes
Cranberries
Walnuts
Green onions
Spread the dressing evenly across the top of the salad.
Crumble the feta and bacon over the top.
Cover the salad with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until it's time to serve. This salad is best served the same day.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Make ahead

To make the salad a day ahead of time, prepare all of the components and store them in separate containers. Assemble the salad the next day.

Notes

Tossing the apples in citrus juice will keep the apples crisp and fresh so you can make the salad several hour ahead of time
When building the layers, focus on the outside first, then fill in the center with lettuce, if needed
If you can find canned wild rice in your grocery store, it's a handy shortcut if you don't have time to boil your own.
If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl and whisk it with the rest of the ingredients. It may not be as creamy, but will still be delicious.

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