This cranberry wild rice recipe is a simple, make-ahead side dish that’s earned a permanent spot on our Thanksgiving table. Indulge Boise is proud to partner with Olivin: Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom to present simple, seasonal recipes for you to try at home. Check Simple Indulgence out on a regular basis to gather ideas on how to spice up some of your home-cooked meals.
The November Simple Indulgence Recipe is getting you prepared to impress & thrill your dinner guests for Thanksgiving with a very simple (and delicious) recipe for Cranberry Wild Rice! Enjoy!
Cranberry Wild Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of Wild Rice
- 1/2 Cup of Slivered Almonds
- 1 Can of Mandarin Oranges (11 oz.) or 1 Large Orange
- 2 Tablespoons of Olivin Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup of Olivin Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar
Directions
Cook wild rice according to package directions. Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl or casserole dish. Mix well and refrigerate. Serve when the dish is chilled. Serves 4.
Why This Cranberry Wild Rice Recipe Works for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving cooking is a logistics problem as much as a cooking problem — everything wants the oven at once, and the sides that need last-minute attention are the ones that stress you out. This cranberry wild rice recipe solves that. It’s served chilled, which means you can make it the morning before, push it to the back of the fridge, and forget about it until you’re setting the table. No reheating, no oven space, no timing it against the turkey. The flavors also improve overnight as the rice absorbs the vinegar and oil, so making it ahead genuinely produces a better dish.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Wild rice — true wild rice has a firmer bite and nuttier flavor than a wild rice blend. Either works, but check the package timing; blends usually cook faster. Let it cool completely before mixing, or the dressing will go greasy.
Olivin Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil — this is what makes the dish taste like fall rather than like a generic rice salad. If you don’t have it, a good extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of dried sage gets you partway there.
Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar — the sweet-tart backbone. A regular balsamic plus a spoonful of cranberry sauce is a workable substitute in a pinch.
Mandarin oranges — canned is genuinely fine here and saves you segmenting a fresh orange. Drain them well so the dish doesn’t turn watery.
Slivered almonds — toast them in a dry skillet for a few minutes if you have time. It takes four minutes and doubles the flavor. Pecans or walnuts also work.
What to Serve It With
This sits comfortably next to turkey, ham, or roast chicken, and it’s a useful dish to bring to a potluck because it travels well and doesn’t need to be kept warm. It’s also naturally vegetarian and dairy-free, which makes it an easy one to offer guests without asking what everyone can eat. Leftovers keep for three to four days and make a decent lunch on their own with some greens.
Make It Ahead
Make this up to two days before Thanksgiving and keep it covered in the fridge. Give it a quick stir before serving to redistribute the dressing, and add the toasted almonds at the last minute if you want them to stay crisp rather than softening into the rice.
More Simple Indulgence Recipes
Indulge Boise partners with Olivin: Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom to bring you simple, seasonal recipes to try at home. Try our Blood Orange Hot Wings or Pomegranate Cashew Arugula Salad next, and taste Olivin’s oils in person on one of our downtown Boise food tours.
