Brown and Wild Rice Salad

My husband, Wor, likes anything with rice in it.  It really is the Thai in him.  Last year when I tasted a yummy wild rice salad at a bridal shower I knew it would be something he would love.  While the salad was extremely good; the recipe I am sharing today is a completely different salad.  The changes really just came slowly as I made this salad several times over the past year, tweaking something each time until I finally got result I am very happy with.

This salad is not only healthier than the original but tastes better too.  The flavor is much lighter and and there are tons more vegetables.  I added grilled chicken to ours to make it a meal but it is quite good on its own served as a side dish.  Chopped shrimp would also make a fantastic addition.  This has quickly become one of my favorite dinners as all the prep can happen during nap time and there are plenty of leftovers to use as lunches all week.

*This recipe is gluten free.  Please be careful to check package labels as not all brands are the same.

Brown and Wild Rice Salad

Yield: 5-6 entree sized portions or 12-15 side dish portions

2 cups brown and wild rice mix 

Chicken broth (follow the cooking instructions on the rice package for the amount of water needed for this measurement)

1 teaspoon parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh

3/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

3 bell peppers, one of each red, orange and green, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

5 celery stalks, sliced down the middle and chopped

Grilled chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces

Cook the rice with the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and parsley; follow package instructions for cooking.  Once rice is done and no liquid is left let the rice cool and even refrigerate if time allows.

Once rice is cooled toss in a bowl with the vegetables and chicken if using.  Add in the yogurt, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and dill.  Mix well.  Be sure to taste and see if it needs more salt or other seasoning.  Chill if not serving right away. 

Printable Recipe