Each season, we feel the need for a boost of fresh nutrients and satisfying flavour through the meals we prepare. I often find that plenty of strong flavourful greens is helpful for maintaining great energy and health, not only throughout active outdoor summers, but especially as the darker Autumnal days start to settle in.  

This awesome simple salad provides the digestive regulators of fibrous wild rice and iron rich astringent parsley that helps you feel energised and in touch with the essence of high raw whole foods, especially when the tendency towards eating mainly heavier cooked foods is easier to fall into habit.

This fresh Wild Rice Salad can be a beautiful and colourful side salad on a Summer's garden party spread, or another solid salad recipe to add to your weekday raw arsenal.

Sprouting the Wild Rice gives a deep nutty flavour, substantial ‘chew,’ and the the energetic benefits of an enzyme rich sprouted grass (wild rice is actually a North American, aquatic (water growing) grass seed, versus the traditional rice grain itself).

Combine your Wild Rice sprouts with spring onions, peppers, tomatoes, and lime juice like this simple recipe, or bulk it up and change it around by adding any of your favourite Mexican flavours like Cilantro, jalapeños, avocado, fresh cut corn, and paprika - with your rice salad, go wild!

To sprout the wild rice: Place the rice in a jar, fill with twice as much water (approx 1 cup/ 250 ml) and close with the lid. You can either leave the soaking rice in a dark corner for around 2-3 days, until most of the seeds have started to ‘bloom.’  

The other option is to place the jar in your dehydrator overnight (12-18 hours, pictured) at 118*F. This will speed up the blooming process, and will yield the same lightly cooked experience for the rice.  

It is likely the case that wild rice is already lightly cooked upon packaging, but the soaking process still yields the result of awakening the sprouting magic. The soaking in the 118* temperature makes for an ideal germination stage that won't harm the beneficial enzyme activation.
 

Assemble and enjoy!

Wild Rice Salad with Parsley and Lime

Ingredients:

1 Cup Wild Rice (dry)

1 Green/Yellow Pepper

1 Red Pepper

2 Plum Tomatoes

2 Small Spring Onions

1 Large Bunch Parsley 

1 Lime

Sea Salt & Pepper (to taste)


For more of a Mexican style salsa fresco flavour, replace the Parsley with Cilantro/Coriander, and add:

1/2 Jalapeño pepper (optional)

1-2 Cobs Fresh Cut Corn

1 Avocado

Preparation Time: Wild Rice (2-3 days by soaking, or overnight in dehydrator)
Assembly Time: Salad 10 minutes

To assemble the salad: Cut the spring onions, red/green/yellow peppers, tomatoes, and finely chop the fresh parsley. Drain the sprouted wild rice (leaving it to strain longer to remove more water, if desired). Add everything to a medium sized bowl, squeezing the lime juice on top before mixing the salad thoroughly.

Fill a big bowl, or enjoy alongside some serious(ly vegan) nachos, and dinner is done!