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!

This post first appeared on Real Housemoms, where I am a contributor.

It's been quite a long and busy week here but I sure am glad to see Thursday.

We're getting our Christmas tree decorated today and putting out all the rest of our decorations. And tomorrow night we're doing a movie night with the kids and letting them "camp out" in the playroom. We'll see how much sleep we all get...

Over the weekend, we're doing a family try to see the Christmas symphony show, J has a preschool birthday party to go to and I'm gonna be baking up a storm for his preschool bake sale on Monday.

So I'm definitely getting into the festive spirit! Are you there already?!

And you having cooler weather finally? And 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!

Plus, you’ve got the depth of flavor that the wild rice brings, the warmth of some Brussels sprouts and it’s got some dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar to finish it off!

(Despite it’s ease - or maybe because of it - I also thinks 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 sauce pan 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!

Notes on making wild rice and Brussels sprouts salad:

• Make sure to thinly slice or shred your Brussels sprouts so they get cooked through and tender. Just cutting them in half won’t do it.
• You can omit the red pepper flakes for less heat.
• You can cook the rice in water instead of broth if you'd prefer.
• You can add some grated Parmesan cheese for serving for a little extra richness.

And call me crazy, but I like to eat the leftovers for breakfast with a fried egg on top. That gooey yolk just brings it all in.

Wondering what to serve this with?

This salad would go great with my 3-ingredient balsamic pork tenderloin with thyme or garlic butter pork chops with lemon, slow cooker balsamic chicken or just some basic easy crunchy baked chicken.

Wishing you cozy dinners with some yummy, but easy, home cooked meals!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Love Brussels sprouts as much as I do? Check out these recipes from some blogging friends:

• Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios, Cranberries + Parmesan
• Pesto Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Brussels Sprouts Salad

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 servings

Wild rice and Brussels sprouts salad

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This one-pot wild rice and Brussels sprouts salad is an easy side dish with just a few ingredients but cozy fall feelings!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

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 low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
6. Uncover, stir Brussels sprouts into the wild rice mix, then cover and let sit a final 5 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper, add 2T dried cranberries per serving and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot.

Notes

Make sure to thinly slice or shred your Brussels sprouts so they get cooked through and tender. Just cutting them in half won’t do it.

You can omit the red pepper flakes for less heat.

You can cook the rice in water instead of broth if you'd prefer.

I like to add some grated Parmesan cheese for serving for a little extra richness.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 666mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 9g