It’s still summer here in Florida, so we are grilling when we can: thus Wild Rice and Shrimp Salad. This was a great lunch. The wild rice made it, so we didn’t feel like we were missing out on bread. The shrimp were big and tasty, coming off the grill.

A fancy Wild Rice and Shrimp Salad is the kind of meal that makes you want wine. And I have to admit we might have had more than a glass with this lunch. Hey, it still COVID season, so eating at home can mean day drinking and a nap. Just don’t tell anyone we did it on a weekday.

black wild rice salad

 

Wild Rice and Shrimp Salad

Black wild rice and grilled shrimp make an elegant salad for lunch or dinner.

Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine BBQ, salad, seafood
Keyword grilled, salad, shrimp, wild rice
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Wild Oregon Rice
  • 1 bunch arugula
  • 1 small head romaine or other leaf rice
  • 1 pint mushrooms baby bella
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 yellow squash or zucchini
  • 3 green onions
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil

For the shrimp

  • 1 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt
  • Olive oil

For dressing

  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1-2 tbs agave
  • 2 tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Dressing

  1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Adjust salt and acid to taste. Set the dressing aside. The dressing can be made in advance.

For the salad

  1. In a rice cooker or on the stovetop cook your wild rice per the directions. I used a beautiful black rice from Oregon. When the rice is done, add salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
  2. In a large pan on the stove, heat a drizzle of olive oil, add the cherry tomatoes cut side down. Let them sear. If your pan is large, you can add the mushrooms to the other half to sauté. Otherwise work in batches. Cook tomatoes and mushroom until tender, about five minutes. Add a generous sprinkle of salt.
  3. Add the squash to the pan, cook 1-2 minutes more. Mixing all the veggies together. At this point, you can add black pepper or any other dry spices you like. A drizzle of olive oil or pat of butter will increase the richness, or a splash of white wine can be nice too. Remove the veggies from the heat.

For the Shrimp

  1. While your grill heats, lightly marinate the shrimp in the lemon, salt, and olive oil. Please don't leave them in the marinated long, or the acid will pickle them.
  2. When your grill is hot, put them on over high heat. Depending on the size of the shrimp, they will only take a minute or two per side to cook. Flip when they start to turn pink and curl up.
  3. Remove from heat when cooked through.

Assemble salad

  1. Wash and dry your greens. Mix with the rice. I prefer to let the rice cool to close to room temperature before mixing it with the greens, but if you like to wilt your them, you can add the rice while hot. Drizzle most of the dressing over the rice and greens. Toss as needed.
  2. Arrange the grilled veggies and shrimp over the salad. Any leftover dressing can be served on the side or poured over the shrimp.
  3. Garnish with green onion or other fresh herbs.

Thank you to Oregon Wild Rice

The beautiful wild rice I used in this salad was given to me by the Langdon family at Oregon Wild Rice. The rice is delicious. As soon as you open the bag, you can tell this is a unique grain. The dry rice smells almost like black tea: earthy, rich, and herbaceous.

I cooked mine in my rice cooker with a drizzle of good olive oil. The cooked rice had a tiny hint of the flavor of nori, dry seaweed, especially once you salt it. I really liked it. My husband loved it. My next plan is to try making my own wild rice blend by buying other bulk grains to mix with this black rice. Wish me luck.

About the Rice Farm

The Langdon family have been farming in the Harrisburg area for approximately 120 years. They started out as a farm to sustain their growing family, then grew into commercial farming. 80 years ago they acquired 140 acres of horrible land with heavy clay soil. For 75 years the family had drained the land and tried to grow grass seed with varying results. Five years ago they decided to stop fighting the land. They moved some dirt, built berms on two sides and within three days they had rice paddies. So far, they have not had to add water to the paddies. Oregon Wild Rice grows in 100% Oregon rain.

The farm has been farmed traditionally in the past. However, Oregon Wild Rice is naturally organic. There is no need for herbicides or pesticides because it is grown in water.

Join Our Mailling List

Join our mailing list to receive the latest recipes and food related stories.

You have Successfully Subscribed!