Wild rice salad with fresh cherries, pecans and goat cheese is finished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for an easy sweet + savory side dish that’s perfect for summer!

Summer break is ON and we've had a crazy, off-schedule, wild week to prove it But all good fun and all full of smiles, so no complaints here!

Let's get right to it today, shall we?

By now you must know that I’m a wee bit obsessed with wild rice salads.

A quick review:

* Curried wild rice salad with raisins and pecans

* Warm wild rice salad with cranberries, pecans and goat cheese

* Wild rice salad with mango and cilantro

Wait, what? You missed some of those?!

Oh no, that won't do. Go check them out and save them right now. It’s cool, I’ll wait.

La la la… twiddle dee dum… hum haw haw…

Hey, welcome back!

OK, now we’re ready for today’s wild rice salad with fresh cherries, pecans and goat cheese, plus a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to tie it all together.

Because, OH, the fresh cherries!! ❤️

They appear in the store and I squeal a little and then grab up bag after bag after bag.

(Silly me didn’t buy a cherry pitter until this year. This one. Don’t make my mistake. Get one and save yourself dozens of hours!)

Mostly I use the fresh cherries to make sweet snacks and desserts. Cause let’s just say that cherries + chocolate go really, really well together!

But I also love incorporating them into salads and savory dishes like this one.

The sweet, fresh cherries with the earthy, fluffy wild rice, crunchy pecans and creamy, rich goat cheese and then the pop from the balsamic vinegar at the end… Well, it’s seriously delightful!

A few quick notes on this wild rice salad with fresh cherries, pecans and goat cheese:

• The wild rice for this recipe needs to be cooked then cooled. Please plan accordingly.
• I love pecans in this salad, but you could substitute walnuts or another favorite nut if you prefer.
• I also love the creamy fresh goat cheese, but you could try some Parmesan cheese as well.
• You know I love adding in some veggies! I think chopped fresh spinach would be great here!
• If you don’t have fresh cherries in season, I feel sure you could substitute dried cherries. It’ll give the dish an extra pop of sweetness!
• If you want to prepare this rice salad ahead, I suggest you refrigerate the rice separately, prep the remaining salad components and wait to add the balsamic vinegar and season to taste before serving.
• You can freshen up leftovers with another drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and/or olive oil.

If you are a wild rice salad fanatic like I am, I hope you’ll give this wild rice salad with fresh cherries a try!

(And pssst… it goes great with grilled meats. Like a steak. For Father’s Day. )

Happy cooking!

XO,

Kathryn

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Yield: 4 servings

Wild rice salad with fresh cherries, pecans and goat cheese

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Wild rice salad with fresh cherries, pecans, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar is an easy sweet + savory summer side dish!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 heaping cup chopped fresh, pitted cherries
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions. Transfer to a medium bowl, season with salt and allow to cool.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

The wild rice for this recipe needs to be cooked then cooled. Please plan accordingly.

I love pecans in this salad, but you could substitute walnuts or another favorite nut if you prefer.

I also love the creamy fresh goat cheese, but you could try some Parmesan cheese as well.

You know I love adding in some veggies! I think chopped fresh spinach would be great here!

If you don’t have fresh cherries in season, I feel sure you could substitute dried cherries. It’ll give the dish an extra pop of sweetness!

If you want to prepare this rice salad ahead, I suggest you refrigerate the rice separately, prep the remaining salad components and wait to add the balsamic vinegar and season to taste before serving.

You can freshen up leftovers with another drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and/or olive oil.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 471mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 8g