Wild Rice Salad with Asian Sautéed Mushrooms

Name: Wild Rice Salad with Asian Sautéed Mushrooms
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup wild rice ((approximately 150 grams)); 500 grams mushrooms; 2 tbsp coconut oil; 1 tbsp Asian style dark sesame oil; 1 small garlic clove, minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 1 tbsp thin soy sauce; 1 tbsp fish sauce ((or coconut aminos for vegan)); 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted; 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) ((1 cup chopped)); 3 tbsps neutral oil ((I used MCT Oil)); 3 tbsps Asian sesame oil; 3 tbsps rice vinegar; 1 tbsp thin soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted); 1 tsp black sesame seeds or Nigella seeds; 1 tbsp Furikake (a Japanese seasoning) ( or 1 tbsp sesame seeds)

This wild rice salad was lucky to get on the dinner table; it was that delicious! Nutty wild rice, sautéed Asian mushrooms in a scrumptious sesame dressing – all full of wonderful umami flavour.

A beautiful make-ahead salad, ideal for big parties and weekday lunches or why not wow your friends at a potluck.

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This mouth-watering “just can’t stop eating it” wild rice salad was cause for debate over our dinner table. I thought that it really benefited with a squeeze of lime juice on top but my mum and beautiful niece just loved it the way it was, try it yourself and let us know what you think.

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You Will Need

Labelled ingredients needed to make a wild rice salad with asian mushrooms.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Cook Your Wild Rice

Place one cup of wild rice in a colander and rince it under cold running water.

Rinsing wild rice in a colander under water in the sink.

Then add it to a saucepan with lots of water and some salt and let it boil for 45 minutes or until it is cooked (but check the packet ingredients as some varieties can cook much faster).

💡TIP - Be generous with the water when you are cooking your wild rice and make sure that it is topped up so that it does not burn or become soggy.

Boiling wild rice in a saucepan with water.

You can tell that wild rice is ready when you start to see the grains split and you see some light brown hues in your rice, it should be tender when you taste it.

A close-up of cooked wild rice that is puffed.

Once cooked strain it well in a colander and rinse with some cold water. I let the water run until it becomes cold enough to use in a salad.

As wild rice takes a while to cook I usually cook a big batch, let it cool and freeze it in individual bags or freezer containers and defrost it to use whenever I like.

While your rice is happily boiling away on your stovetop you can prepare the rest of your salad.

Step 2 – Prepare Your Mushrooms

Clean your mushrooms by either submerging in water and draining or by wiping with a paper towel. Cut off the bottom end of the stems then dice.

Place the coconut and sesame oil in a hot pan, add the mushrooms, add the ginger and garlic and stir through then sauté until golden.

Definitely use the coconut and dark sesame oil to sauté your mushrooms in as the added flavour is out of this world.

Then add the soy and fish sauces, mix through and once the liquid has been absorbed, add your sesame seeds then take it off the stove. This should all take approximately 15 minutes.

Step 3 – Chop Herbs and Shake-Up Dressing

While your mushrooms are browning in their pan and your wild rice is cooking.

Wash your coriander, shake to remove excess water, pat dry, then cut off the stems and roughly chop.

Add all the dressing ingredients to a glass jar and shake until emulsified.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS IN A GLASS JAR — ADD INGREDIENTS TO A GLASS JAR

Step 4 – Assemble Salad

Place your cooked rice, mushroom mix and chopped coriander/cilantro in a large mixing bowl.

ADDING ALL WILD RICE SALAD INGREDIENTS TO A WHITE BOWL

Pour over your dressing and mix everything until it is well combined.

Arrange in a salad bowl sprinkle some Japanese Furikake or sesame seeds on top to garnish and keep chilled in your fridge until you are ready to serve.

Wild rice salad in a white bowl with furikake and black sesame seeds in small white bowls on the side.

Serving Suggestions 🍽

We served this moreish little number with harissa lamb cutlets but it really would go well with any grilled meats, poultry or fish or anything spicy such as with chilli fish or chilli beef ribs or even some spicy garlic prawns.

Tips and Questions

What is Wild Rice?

Wild rice is not a grain at all but an aquatic grass it is simply referred to as rice because it looks similar and you cook it the same way.

It has an exquisitely nutty flavour, rich in protein, full of antioxidants, boosts alkalinity and is gluten and grain-free. The only drawback is that it takes a long time to cook – at least 45 minutes.

Where Can I Find Wild Rice?

Make sure you use true wild rice and not a mix or blend from your supermarket. You should be able to find wild rice at a Woolworths in Australia or Trader Joe’s in the US alternatively you could try any large health food stores.

What Mushrooms Can I Use?

We used a mix of king oyster and shiitake but cremini, Swiss brown, Shimeji or white button mushrooms are also good.
Try adding some dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms and rehydrating they will add some extra mushroomy flavour.

Can Wild Rice Salad Be Made Ahead?

What I love most about this salad is that it lasts in the fridge for a week which makes it great to use to meal prep weekday lunches.
It is perfect if you are entertaining large groups as you can make it a day or two ahead and serve it on the day.
Travels beautifully which makes it great for picnics and potlucks.

What Should I Do With Leftovers?

Any leftovers are happy sitting and chilling in your fridge for a week until you are ready to use them again. (Yeah good luck with that, I find myself constantly stealing spoonfuls and suddenly it is all gone!).