It’s blueberry season!!! Blueberries always make me think of my Aunt Pat, and I just returned from California where we enjoyed several fistfuls of blueberries together. (Oh, and we also enjoyed Mack and Lizzy’s Wedding!) But I was jumping for joy when I found out that the key ingredient for this month’s SOS Kitchen Challenge was blueberries! If you haven’t heard of this event, it’s a monthly challenge hosted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim of Affairs of Living. You know I’m a huge Ricki fan from my adoption post that I did last month, and I love Kim’s blog, so this challenge is definitely a monthly highlight.
But back to this SOS Kitchen Challenge. Blueberries!! Oh the possibilities! Of course, all of the baked goods came to mind first — blueberry scones, blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins. It’s hard for me to think beyond breakfast when it comes to blueberries.
But then we moved, and it seemed kind of silly to unpack my baking supplies and mix up a batter when surrounded by boxes. I so desperately wanted to participate in this challenge, but I had to be reasonable. Unpack first. Then bake.
When I unpacked my rice cooker, I realized that I didn’t have to bake in order to participate in the S.O.S. Challenge. I suddenly knew exactly what I would make — a cold wild rice salad. And what better way to enjoy this salad than with gobs of happy little blueberries! No Kitchen Aid, no oven, no baking pans, just a rice cooker and a big bowl was all I needed.
Sometimes it’s nice to return to the simple.
And this Wild Rice and Blueberry Salad is simply delicious.
Wild Rice and Blueberry Salad
by HeatherIngredients:
1 c. wild rice
1 pt. blueberries
1/2 c. toasted pine nuts
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
1 T. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. sea saltDirections:
1. Cook wild rice according to package directions and set aside to cool.
2. Toast pine nuts and set aside.
3. Mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, agave nectar, and sea salt in a small bowl.
4. When the rice has cooled, fold in the pine nuts and mixed liquids until thoroughly combined.
5. Refrigerate for that cold nip.
Is it savory? Is it sweet? I think it’s a little bit of both. Tell me what you think.
Make sure you stop by SOS Kitchen Challenge to check out all of the wonderful blueberry submissions this month!
This recipe is linked to:
- Seasonal Sundays hosted by Brittany of Real Sustenance.
- Slightly Indulgent Tuesday hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
- Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker
- Real Food Weekly hosted by Diane of The Whole Gang
- Friday Foodie Fix hosted by Diane of The Whole Gang
Spectacular salad! I agree–sounds like a bit of both savory and sweet. I love the paring of pine nuts with the blueberries–mmm! What a creative combination of ingredients. And that photo of the bowl of blueberries is beautiful.
Thanks so much for submitting it to the SOS this month!
(and so glad you’re enjoying the event).
Thanks, Ricki! I’ve enjoyed checking out the submissions, and your kale salad with blueberries looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Oooh…this looks really good! I love blueberries and pine nuts! I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Kim! Let me know how you like it!
Oh I love the idea of this! And I love that you’ve lightly dressed it – no heavy tons of oil. And those pine nuts make me hungry. Okay, and the blueberries.
Thanks, Alta! Yes, it’s a very light tasting salad too.
Sounds lovely – but I’ve always been led to believe that wild rice isn’t gluten-free….?
I’ve never heard that, Jan. Rice has always been a safe grain for Celiacs. I would definitely be careful of seasoned rice blends, because gluten can lurk in those seasonings. But pure rice blends like Lundberg is labeled “gluten-free”. The Lundberg brand is made of “long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, Wehani®, Black Japonica™ and select wild rice pieces”. Safe and delicious. Thanks for commenting, Jan!
I need you to make up LOTS of recipes with cold blueberries. I love my blueberries right out of the refrigerator, not cooked into a pie. I also love the tarter blueberry over the sweeter blueberry and wonder how come some are tarter and some are sweeter. Is there a way to know this when purchasing blueberries? Does it have to do with variety or with when they are picked?
For some reason, this is my favorite challenge you’ve undertaken.
Hey now, I thought you were the blueberry expert!
I do agree with you that the tarter blueberries are better though. I love you!
This sounds just delicious and a perfect summertime lunch. I guess I better add pine nuts to my shopping list because I sure want to give this a try. I’ve bookmarked your site and I’ll look forward to trying this! Thanks for sharing — and beautiful photography!
Thanks, Lesli! Just checked out your site. Looks like a wonderful healthy resource. I appreciate you stopping by! Now, go get those pine nuts.
What a beautiful salad! I love the combination of ingredients that you’ve used here. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you so much for stopping by, Candace. I really enjoy your blog!
Wow………!!