Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing

Spicy arugula offers a nutritious, green base. Fresh ginger in the salad dressing balances the sweetness of the caramelized, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ve been obsessed with wild rice in salads lately, since it offers such a great, chewy-tender texture and nutty flavor.

Crumbled feta, green onion and dried cranberries round it out to create a bold, beautiful fall and winter salad. This is a meal-in-a-bowl situation.

Ingredients:

Salad

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium or 3 small), peeled and sliced into 1” cubes
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, chopped pecans or almonds, or any combination thereof
• 5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
• ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
• ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• About 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper