Simple winter salad recipe with arugula, wild rice, goat cheese, sweet potatoes and cranberries with a flavorful ginger dressing. Easy to make and special enough for a party!

Servings: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 cup pepitas
• 5 oz arugula
• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup green onions, sliced
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Ginger Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 2 T grated fresh ginger
• 2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Start by cooking the wild rice. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the rinsed rice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40-60 minutes or until the rice is tender (check the packaging of wild rice for exact instructions). Remove from heat, drain the rice and return to the pot.
2. While the rice is cooking, roast the sweet potatoes in a preheated oven (425℉). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt, and mix well. Roast for about 25 minutes or until tender.
3. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
4. Assemble the salad by combining the arugula, wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, pepitas, goat cheese, green onion and dried cranberries in a large serving bowl. Mix well.
5. Drizzle the dressing on individual servings so, if you have leftovers, the salad does not become soggy.