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Wild Rice Kale Salad with Chicken from One Lovely Life

Wild Rice & Kale Salad With Chicken (Cubby's Copycat)

5 from 9 votes
Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
This tasty main dish salad is a copycat of my favorite Wild Rice Kale Salad from Cubby's! It's loaded with goodies and topped off with a tangy dressing you're bound to love!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Print Pin
Servings: 8 Cups Salad (4-5 Servings)
Calories: 521kcal

Ingredients

FOR THE WILD RICE KALE SALAD:

  • 8 cups shredded kale - tough center ribs removed
  • 8 oz. cooked chicken diced or shredded (about 1 1/2-2 cups)
  • 1 cup cooked wild rice or wild rice blend (from 1/3 cup dry)
  • 1 apple diced
  • 1 avocado diced
  • 1/4 cup toasted almonds
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

FOR THE LEMON BALSAMIC CILANTRO DRESSING:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro (mince if using a jar to mix. Feel free to leave whole if using a blender)

Instructions

FOR THE WILD RICE KALE SALAD:

  • Mix up the dressing first (see below).
  • Massage Kale. Place kale in a large bowl and add 1-2 Tbsp. of the dressing and a pinch of salt to the kale. Massage with your fingers for 30-30 seconds to combine well and break down the kale a bit.
  • Build Salad. Add chicken, wild rice, apple, avocado, almonds, and cranberries to the kale. Drizzle with a little more dressing and stir to combine well, adding more dressing, to taste. (You may not need all the dressing)

FOR THE LEMON BALSAMIC CILANTRO DRESSING:

  • Combine. Place all ingredients in a jar with a lid or in an immersion blender cup.
  • Mix or Puree. Seal the jar and shake well to combine or pulse with an immersion blender to combine well.
  • Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use (dressing will keep 1 week)

Notes

  • GIVE IT A MASSAGE. REALLY. I'll be honest, I rolled my eyes a LOT at the idea of massaging a kale salad (1. Who has the time? 2. Isn't that kind of fussy?), but I've really come around. It helps break down the kale a bit so it has a much nicer texture, and also mellows out the flavor a bit. If you've got 30-60 seconds (that's really all it takes), I highly recommend it. (Plus, it majorly reduces the volume - I get 4 cups massaged kale out of 8 cups raw)
  • HOW DO YOU COOK WILD RICE? I recommend following the directions on your package for best results, but for a wild rice/brown rice blend, I typically use 1/3 cup dry rice (rinsed) + 2/3 cup water, bring to a simmer and cook 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and steam a few minutes before fluffing with a fork. 
  • ADD CHEESE! Cubbys adds goat cheese/feta to their salad. Feel free to add some here! 

Video

Course: Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kale salad, wild rice kale chicken salad, wild rice kale salad, wild rice salad

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups salad with 2 Tablespoons dressing | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 23.4g | Fat: 31.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 330.3mg | Potassium: 341.4mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 13.1g | Vitamin C: 26.9mg | Calcium: 61.5mg

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

Find it Online:

https://www.onelovelylife.com/wild-rice-kale-salad/