Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad with Grapes and Goat Cheese

This Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad is a delicious summer salad; refreshing and filled with grapes, goat cheese, fresh vegetables, and almonds.

I’m a huge fan of grain salads, which I’m sure you could tell from my blog.

I love lentil and barley salads with pomegranate and feta. And harvest kale salads with nutty farro. And, of course, this Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad.

Adding grains not only makes a salad more delicious and filling, but adds even more heart-healthy fiber.

Wild rice, for example, has a ton of fiber in addition to protein. Wild rice contains twice as much protein as brown rice. It is also rich in antioxidants, immune-boosting vitamin C, manganese, and essential B vitamins.

This salad is loaded with goodies. It could be your lunch, but it is certainly satisfying enough to be a dinner.

The base of this Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad is the greens. Properly massaged greens, to be specific. Giving the kale a massage, with a bit of olive oil and salt, tenderizes the green and makes it much less bitter.

What technically happens during this therapeutic massage is the kale’s resilient cellulose structure breaks down, which un-technically translates into a next-level kale salad. I strongly suggest always massaging your kale when it comes to salads. It makes all the difference in the world.

To make this Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad even more delicious, there’s fruity grapes, seasonal heirloom tomatoes, toasted almonds, and savory crumbled goat cheese.

The dressing is incredibly easy—just balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, thyme, sea salt, pepper, and a bit of honey.

Celery, shredded carrots, and the nutty almonds all add a welcome crunch. Leftover wild rice (and even leftover chicken) is a great way to save some time and repurpose it into a whole new meal. If you don’t have any leftovers and still want a super quick summer meal, grab a microwavable pouch of high-quality wild rice blend and a small organic cooked rotisserie chicken to shred.

I hope that you enjoy this Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad! What are some of your favorite summer salads? Let me know in the comments below.

And here’s a few things you may need for this recipe:

Lundberg Wild Rice Blend  //  Mariani Sliced Almonds  //  La Tourangelle Extra Virgin Olive Oil  //  Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

This post contains affiliate links, but are always products I love & highly recommend.

Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad with Grapes and Goat Cheese

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Tiffany
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This Kale and Chicken Wild Rice Salad is a delicious summer salad; refreshing and filled with grapes, goat cheese, fresh vegetables, and almonds.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Chicken:

• 1 pound chicken breast or tenders
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Pinch of black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 large bunch kale
• 2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered
• 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice blend*
• 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

For the Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Cook the Chicken:

1. Combine the sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and thyme, and evenly sprinkle over the chicken breasts. Sear or grill the seasoned chicken breasts until cooked through and then dice the chicken into small cubes or shred.

Make the Dressing:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously until combined.

Prepare the Salad:

1. Wash, dry, and de-stem kale. Chop the leaves into small pieces and toss in a bowl with a sprinkle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Massage the kale for a few minutes, until the leaves noticeably turn darker green in color and tenderize.
2. Toss the kale with the tomatoes, grapes, carrots, celery, parsley, almonds, goat cheese, and cooked wild rice. Add in the chicken and the dressing and toss until evenly combined. Enjoy!

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Notes

*Leftover wild rice is an excellent use for this salad. Microwavable wild rice packages are also a great way to save time!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 406
• Sodium: 140mg
• Fat: 20g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 43g
• Fiber: 6g
• Protein: 15g
• Cholesterol: 20mg