Wild Rice Harvest Bowls with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette are full of healthy, fall-inspired ingredients. As delicious as they are gorgeous!
“I made this for a family dinner and we all agreed that it was absolutely delicious!!! … The dressing brings it over the top. If I could give it 10 stars I would!”
I think it’s finally safe to say that fall is in the air around here! Red and orange leaves are scattered on the ground, yellow and fuchsia mums decorate nearly every porch on the block, and I’ve traded in my sandals and tank tops for sneakers and a denim jacket.
Coincidentally the 80s called and want their fashion trends back. Weird!
Trips to the grocery store are a treat right now, too. Sugar pumpkins, mini squash, and lumpy gourds greet us at almost every turn of the cart, begging me to take them home. Alas, I have no design sense and they’d just sit in an awkward pile on my table.
One fall favorite I DO know what to do with though, is the abundance of squash sitting next to the wee pumpkins. Come to Mama, Wild Rice Harvest Bowls with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette!
Wild Rice Harvest Bowls
I’m over the moon for this beautiful, delicious dish and am so excited to share it with you, especially because you can make it over the weekend then pack leftovers for easy, healthy lunches all next week. This dish holds up beautifully in the fridge!
What’s Inside
Hearty wild blend rice is tossed with my favorite fall food pairings — roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts, chopped apples and cheddar cheese, chewy dried cranberries and crunchy almonds — all drizzled with homemade, sweet and tangy Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette.
The results are outstanding. If you like wild rice salads then you’ll love this fall version that’s full of craveable flavors and textures.
I did keep these bowls meatless but feel free to add pair with baked chicken or pork tenderloin for even more staying power.
Let’s do this!
Another Healthy Salad to Try
How to Make this Recipe
Start by cooking a wild/brown rice blend in chicken broth according to package directions.
I love Lundberg Wild Blend Rice — it’s what I use for my Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, too. Spread the rice out onto a plate to cool slightly or make a day ahead of time and refrigerate.
While the rice is cooking, prep a small butternut squash.
Slice the top and bottom off the butternut squash then slice the squash in half lengthwise and use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the long neck.
I prefer to use a sharp knife to peel the bulb end, like slicing the rind off a watermelon, as it’s easier to follow the curve, vs trying to hack away at it with a peeler.
Slice the squash into planks, then each plank into strips, and finally each strip into 1″ cubes.
By the way, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s so funny how different individual squash can be! The one I sliced to photograph for this recipe was bright yellow (my oldest asked if it was cheese!) and not extremely sweet, while another one I used last week was sweet as candy and pumpkin-orange.
Anyhow, measure out 3 cups of 1″ cubes then add to a parchment paper or nonstick sprayed foil-lined baking sheet and toss with extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, and cinnamon, plus lots of salt and pepper.
Roast the butternut squash for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, stirring halfway through.
After stirring, put the squash back into the oven along with a sheet pan of shredded brussels sprouts tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The brussels sprouts will get nice and crispy in 8-10 minutes, which means they should be done at the same time the squash is.
Let both the squash and brussels sprouts cool slightly – you can also roast both a day ahead of time.
By the way, I LOVE the convenience of pre-shredded brussels sprouts for this dish. I find them to be too thick for salads with raw brussels sprouts, but they’re the perfect thickness for roasted dishes and save so much prep time!
Once the rice, squash and brussels sprouts have slightly cooled, add them to an enormous bowl with chopped apples, cubed white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds.
Pepitas would be fantastic in place of the almonds, if you’ve got them!
Last step is to drizzle on homemade Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (which is as good as it sounds!) then toss to coat.
That’s extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig jam, minced garlic clove, salt, and pepper shaken together in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
Eat right away or portion into containers to devour for delicious lunches all week long. Enjoy, enjoy!
More Fabulous Fall Salads
- Healthy Chickpea Salad
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Steak Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Maple-Bourbon Pecan Salad
- Steak Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Everyday Kale Salad
- Apple Orchard Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Wild Blend Rice, Lundberg Wild Blend Rice recommended
- 1-3/4 cups gluten free chicken broth
- 3 cups 1” butternut squash cubes, ~1 small squash
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- salt and pepper
- 9 oz thinly shredded brussels sprouts
- 1 large or 2 small apples, chopped
- 3 oz white cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds or pepitas
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
For the Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic, pressed or very finely minced
- 2 Tablespoons fig jam
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Add Wild Blend Rice and chicken broth to a small saucepan then bring to a simmer, place a lid on top, turn heat down to low, and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until rice is tender (verify liquid amount and cooking method with rice package directions.) Fluff with a fork then set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick sprayed foil then add butternut squash cubes, 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper then toss with your fingertips to evenly coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, line another half sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick sprayed foil then add shredded brussels sprouts, remaining 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper then toss with your fingertips to evenly coat. Add to the oven after stirring the squash then roast together for 8-10 minutes or until brussels sprouts are tender and golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl add cooked rice, roasted butternut squash, roasted brussels sprouts, apples, cheese, almonds, and dried cranberries. Drizzle Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette on top then toss to coat and serve.
For the Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- Combine ingredients in a bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid then whisk or shake to combine (might need to microwave for 15-20 seconds to help melt the fig jam.) Taste then add more salt, pepper, and/or fig jam if desired. Can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
Notes
- Estimated nutritional information includes entire dressing recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made this tonight, and my super picky husband looooOOOOOoooved it. That NEVER happens. Please don’t ever stop making new recipes. I swear 3/4 of my go-to’s are Iowa Girl Eats recipes. ❤️ Lots of love from Iowa City.
Im not a huge fig fan. What would you suggest in place of the fig jam? Could you use strawberry or raspberry?
This recipe is so good. I meal prepped and made for this week. OMG!!!!! I only sub the wild rice with brown basmati rice. Definitely keeping this in my rotation. Thank you
Kristin, do you think this would work with brown rice, rather than wild rice? The years before my celiac diagnosis almost destroyed my digestive system and wild rice is an absolute no. Quinoa is, tragically, another casualty. The flavors sound fantastic.
Oh I’m sure, Diane! :)
Would it be good without the cheese? Looking for more of a vegan spin on it!
Absolutely!
Hi from Washington state! I’ve made this recipe twice for potlucks and both times it was a HUGE hit. Honestly, people at work still talk about it a month later. The only substitution I made was subbing apricot jam for the fig. I’m a born and raised Iowa girl, and my mom turned me on to your site. Keep up the great work!
Ahh, you made my day. Thank you so much for the nice note and feedback, Becky!
This isn’t amazing! I have made it twice now.
So glad to hear it, Vera! Thanks so much for your feedback!
What a delicious salad. I made this yesterday for tonight’s supper and I couldn’t stop sampling it. It is a terrific recipe for us in Florida because it has all of those fall flavors without being too heavy for the warm weather. I thought the fig jam in the dressing was brilliant- so yummy! Thanks for another great recipe, we’ll be having the turkey sandwiches later this week.
Yes, that’s such a great feature of this salad – I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for leaving a star rating, too!
This looks amazing!!! I want to make this next weekend when my friend and I go to Vail. She’s allergic to squash. Do you think I could sub sweet potatoes?
Absolutely, Sarah!
Just wanted to tell you that I took this salad to MOPS a couple weeks ago and I had a ton of people asking for the recipe. Everybody loved it!! Thanks for sharing such good recipes!!
That is so great!! Thanks so much for helping to spread the word!! :)
Love your recipes. All that’s missing is the sodium content. Keep up the good work!
I can’t find fig jam….first time I made it with homemade strawberry/rhubarb jam….and tonight is made using homemade strawberry red pepper jam! SOOOOO GOOD! I love this recipe! I just wish I could find the sliced brussell sprouts here in Airdrie, Canada. Knock on wood, haven’t lost a finger yet to the mandolin!
Ooo, that spicy/sweet jam sounds fabulous!! So glad you enjoyed, Sarah!!
Would this work with red wine vinegar instead of balsamic vinegar? Thank you…
Hey Pat! I’ve never tried but I think that could be good!