Dawn's Family Reunion Rice Salad

Summer is a great time for a salad like this. The ingredients in this salad are fresh and healthy. Usually, we think of salad as made from greens. Wild rice is not a rice but a grass and is also the state grain of Minnesota. Summer is also family get-together time - lots of outside days, reunions, days at the lake, or even just a simple picnic in a local park. This salad is the perfect dish to take along and share.

My friend, Dawn, in Knoxville, TN, was willing to share this recipe with me and I want to pass it along for others to enjoy. It is a requested dish served at her family's reunion each July. As with all great hand-me-down or share among friends recipes, there is some play in the quantities. I like that idea because you can start with a lesser amount of a seasoning and adjust to your tastes. Remember, you can always add, but it is not always easy to get too much of some ingredients out of a dish.

Salad Ingredients

3 cups brown rice, cooked
1-1/2 cups wild rice, cooked
Cook the rice the day before and store in a sealed container or bag. It is the same premise as making fried rice - chilled rice is what works! When you get ready to mix, blend the rice together. It will be sticky and that is exactly what you want.
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
¾ cup chopped green olives

Dressing Ingredients

¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
¼ cup brown (apple cider) vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1-2 teaspoons or 1-2 packets of sugar or sugar alternative (Splenda is usually what I use).
2-3 packets of dried soup mix Important note - all this is needed is 2 - 3-teaspoons of seasoning. The dried soup mix is not the package size that serves 3 -4 people. They are one serving size packages. Any brand or any flavor will work and this is important as not all brands are available nationally. Dawn uses Knorr or MBT beef broth flavor. In a pinch, you can use the packets of seasoning that come with the Ramen noodles. Remember though they are high is sodium if that is a diet consideration. You can also use dried soup base mix - just do 2-3 teaspoons, or adjust to your taste.
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly. That's it!
Pretty easy to do - quick and ready to go.

The quantities in this recipe will serve a large group. Try cutting the amounts in half for a smaller group. It is the perfect outdoor dish because you don't have the issues of food spoilage with mayonnaise based salads, however, you do have use common sense with any foods left not refrigerated for long periods of time.

Judy Ferril is a freelance writer in Minneapolis. Are you a stranger in your own kitchen? Do you think eating healthy means no fun or flavor in your meals? Judy is the self-trained executive chef for the Ferril family and loves to share her passion for cooking and healthy foods with others. Join Judy Ferril at Baking With Lemons. What does baking and lemons have to do with fun, flavor, and health? Come see, stretch your imagination and enjoy new tastes and flavors at Baking with Lemons and Local Food Connections for fun and healthy local food options. Judy Ferril

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