Zizania Chicken Salad

Elevate your salad game with this vibrant and nutritious Zizania Chicken Salad, a perfect harmony of bold flavors and irresistible textures. Featuring tender shredded chicken, nutty wild rice (zizania), and a colorful medley of fresh salad greens, sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and tangy red onions, this dish is a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts or pecans add a delightful contrast, while crumbled feta lends a creamy, savory finish. Tossed in a zesty homemade dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard, this hearty salad is light yet satisfying, making it an ideal choice for lunch or a healthy dinner. Ready in just 20 minutes (plus cooking time for the rice and chicken), it’s a delicious, protein-packed meal that you can enjoy fresh or chilled.

Nutriscore Rating: 72/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:50 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked wild rice (zizania)
• 2 cups Cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
• 4 cups Mixed salad greens
• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium Cucumber, diced
• 0.25 cup Red onion, sliced thinly
• 0.5 cup Dried cranberries
• 0.5 cup Chopped walnuts or pecans
• 0.5 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
• 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Cook the wild rice according to package instructions, ensuring the grains are tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.

Step 2

While the rice is cooking, prepare the chicken breast by boiling, grilling, or roasting until fully cooked through. Allow to cool and shred or dice the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Step 3

In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled wild rice, shredded chicken, salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, and crumbled feta cheese.

Step 4

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.

Step 5

Pour the dressing over the salad mixture in the large bowl. Toss gently with tongs to evenly coat all ingredients with the dressing.

Step 6

Serve immediately as a main dish or chilled for later. Enjoy your Zizania Chicken Salad!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	1739.2 grams (1739.2g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2766

Total Fat 142.60g	183%
Saturated Fat 34.10g	171%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.20g
Cholesterol 506mg	169%
Sodium 3022mg	131%
Total Carbohydrate 182.50g	66%
Dietary Fiber 21.60g	77%
Total Sugars 71.10g
Protein 192.90g	386%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 796mg	61%
Iron 13mg	72%
Potassium 3108mg	66%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 46.1%

Protein: 27.7%

Carbs: 26.2%