Anne Morgan Delia Smith tried cooking the brown and wild rice together in one pot, could not get the timing right, and tells you straight in her Complete How to Cook to cook them separately. This brown and wild rice salad with dried cranberries serves 12 as part of a buffet, takes about 50 minutes, and that honesty about the shortcut not working is why I trust every word of the recipe.
The cranberries and toasted walnuts scattered through the rice look like jewels on the plate, and Delia uses Champagne vinegar in the dressing, which sounds fancy but just means a lighter, cleaner acidity than red wine vinegar. It is a Christmas buffet salad that does all its work ahead of time and needs nothing from you at the last minute.
More Rice Salad Recipes:
Why Cook the Two Rices Separately?
Wild rice takes 50 minutes and brown basmati takes 40 to 45, so if you put them in the same pot one is overcooked or the other is crunchy. Delia uses two frying pans with lids, one for each rice, running at the same time.
It sounds like more washing up, but start the wild rice first and the brown rice 5 minutes later and they finish together.
Brown and Wild Rice Salad Ingredients
The Rice:
- 225ml (8 fl oz) brown basmati rice, measured in a jug
- 120ml (4 fl oz) wild rice, measured in a jug
- 1 dessertspoon of groundnut or other flavourless oil
- Salt
The Extras:
- 50g (2 oz) dried cranberries
- 50g (2 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, including the green parts
- 7.5cm (3 inch) piece of cucumber, diced small
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped small
- 1 small red or yellow pepper (capsicum), deseeded and diced
- 1 red apple, cored and finely chopped, no need to peel
The Dressing:
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
- 3 tablespoons of Champagne vinegar or good white wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly milled black pepper
How To Make Delia Smith Brown and Wild Rice Salad
- Cook the wild rice: Heat half the groundnut oil in a small frying pan with a lid. Add the wild rice and toss to coat. Pour over 225ml (8 fl oz) boiling water, add salt, stir once, cover, and cook gently for 50 minutes.
- Cook the brown rice: Repeat in a larger frying pan with the remaining oil and the brown basmati. Pour over 450ml (16 fl oz) boiling water. Cover and cook for 40 to 45 minutes until tender.
- Make the dressing: Pound the garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar until creamy. Work in the mustard powder, then whisk in the vinegar and olive oil. Season with plenty of black pepper.
- Toast the walnuts: Spread on a baking tray and toast in the oven at 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 4) for 8 minutes. Set a timer.
- Dress while warm: Mix both cooked rices together in a serving bowl. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of dressing, toss gently, and leave to cool completely.
- Add everything else: Once cool, mix in the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, apple, cranberries, two-thirds of the spring onions, and two-thirds of the walnuts. Drizzle the remaining dressing over and toss again.
- Serve: Scatter the remaining spring onions and walnuts over the top.
Picking Cranberries and Walnuts for the Top
Delia holds back a third of the spring onions and walnuts to scatter on top at the end. This is a presentation trick: it makes the salad look freshly made even if you assembled it yesterday.
I do the same with a handful of extra cranberries. The red against the dark wild rice is what makes this salad catch the eye on a crowded buffet table.
What To Serve This With
Delia files this under Christmas buffet food, and it works perfectly next to the coronation chicken and a coleslaw. The three together give you grains, protein, and crunch without repeating any flavours.
Outside Christmas, it is a strong side for roast lamb or grilled chicken. The cranberries give a tartness that cuts through rich meat.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fibre: 3g
- Protein: 4g
Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 12 servings.
Where can I buy wild rice in the UK?
Most Waitrose and larger Tesco stores stock it in the rice aisle, usually next to the speciality grains. It costs more than brown rice but you only need 120ml for 12 servings so a bag lasts ages. Merchant Gourmet and Tilda both sell it.
What is Champagne vinegar and do I need it?
Champagne vinegar is made from Champagne grapes and has a lighter, softer acidity than white wine vinegar. Delia says good white wine vinegar works as a substitute, and I have used it every time because Champagne vinegar is hard to find outside specialist shops.
How many rice salads does Delia have?
Four. The basic brown rice salad from the Complete Cookery Course, this wild rice version from Complete How to Cook, the spiced version with curry powder from Happy Christmas, and the pesto rice salad from the Summer Collection. They are all different recipes with different dressings.
You Might Also Like:
Delia Smith Brown and Wild Rice Salad Recipe
12
servings15
minutes50
minutes1
hour5
minutesDelia Smith tried cooking the brown and wild rice together in one pot and could not get the timing right, so she cooks them separately. That honest admission in Delia’s Complete How to Cook is why I trust this recipe: she tested the shortcut, it did not work, and she tells you so you do not waste your time. This brown and wild rice salad with dried cranberries serves 12 as part of a buffet and takes about 50 minutes.
The cranberries and toasted walnuts scattered through the rice look like jewels on the plate. Delia uses Champagne vinegar in the dressing, which sounds fancy but just means a lighter, cleaner acidity than red wine vinegar. It is a Christmas buffet salad that does all its work ahead of time and needs nothing from you at the last minute.
Ingredients
225ml (8 fl oz) brown basmati rice, measured in a jug
120ml (4 fl oz) wild rice, measured in a jug
1 dessertspoon of groundnut or flavourless oil
Salt
50g (2 oz) dried cranberries
50g (2 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped
3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
7.5cm (3 inch) piece of cucumber, diced small
3 medium ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped small
1 small red or yellow pepper (capsicum), deseeded and diced
1 red apple, cored and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of mustard powder
3 tablespoons of Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Freshly milled black pepper
Directions
- Cook the wild rice: Heat half the groundnut oil in a small frying pan with a lid. Add the wild rice and toss to coat. Pour over 225ml (8 fl oz) boiling water, add salt, stir once, cover, and cook gently for 50 minutes.
- Cook the brown rice: Repeat in a larger frying pan with the remaining oil and the brown basmati. Pour over 450ml (16 fl oz) boiling water. Cover and cook for 40 to 45 minutes until tender.
- Make the dressing: Pound the garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar until creamy. Work in the mustard powder, then whisk in the vinegar and olive oil. Season with plenty of black pepper.
- Toast the walnuts: Spread on a baking tray and toast in the oven at 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 4) for 8 minutes. Set a timer.
- Dress while warm: Mix both cooked rices together in a serving bowl. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of dressing, toss gently, and leave to cool completely.
- Add everything else: Once cool, mix in the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, apple, cranberries, two-thirds of the spring onions, and two-thirds of the walnuts. Drizzle the remaining dressing over and toss again.
- Serve: Scatter the remaining spring onions and walnuts over the top.
Notes
- Cook wild rice and brown rice in separate pans. Dress rice while warm, add vegetables only when cold. Toast walnuts for exactly 8 minutes. Can be made a day ahead.
