Roasted Squash With Wild Rice Salad

A delightfully vibrant and hearty option for a holiday feast. Perfect when loaded with (mushroom) gravy and cranberry sauce too!
Difficulty:
3/5
Prep time:
45 min
Cook time:
1 h
Serves:
8

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 3 cups stock
  • 4 small acorn or butternut squash, halved and seeded
  • oil with a high smoke point, like rice bran, canola, or grapeseed
  • salt & pepper
  • 4 shallots or 8 red pearl onions, ends removed and quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups rainbow chard, shredded
  • 1/2 cup pepitas, lightly toasted
  • 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • ¼ cup feta, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp. orange juice, plus 1 tsp. orange zest
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • microgreens, as garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring wild rice and stock to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes.
  2. Preheat grill on medium-high heat with one of Broil King’s Cast Iron Griddles.
  3. Once the grill is hot, turn the heat down to low on the griddle side and keep the opposite side on medium-high heat for indirect heat.
  4. Drizzle oil on squash halves and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash flat side down on griddle for 45-55 minutes, checking halfway through. If squash has developed a dark, caramelized color, flip and finish cooking on the other side.
  5. Meanwhile, prep ingredients from shallots to feta.
  6. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Saute shallots until translucent and aromatic, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and rainbow chard and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  7. Combine cooked wild rice, sauteed shallots, garlic, and rainbow chard in a large mixing bowl. Add pepitas, basil, pomegranate seeds, and feta and toss together.
  8. Season with orange juice, orange zest, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Transfer roasted squash to a large platter and spoon wild rice salad into each cavity. Garnish with microgreens and serve.

Recipe Styling & Development by Jannell Lo
Photography by Jessica Kalman