Time for another Sunday great salad! This week’s recipe was chosen by Deborah of Old Shoes, New Trip. Deborah writes:

I got this recipe on the internet a few years ago. Unfortunately, I can't remember where in order to give proper credit.

The recipe is very easy. It keeps well and freezes well. You can serve it both chilled or at room temperature. Great for picnics where you don't want to worry about spoilage.

Roasted Corn & Wild Rice Salad

1 package - uncooked wild rice. (the original recipe called for wild rice blend, but I prefer the stronger flavors of only wild rice.)
2 cups - frozen roasted corn nibblets (I use Trader Joes)
1 cup - finely chopped celery
3/4 cup - shredded carrot
3/4 cup - Craisins
2/3 cup - toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup - finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup - raspberry vinegar
1 tbs - olive oil
1 tbs - low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp - grated orange peel
1/2 tsp - pepper

Cook rice according to package directions: omit salt and fat. Cool.
Combine rice, corn and all other ingredients in a bowl; stir well; chill overnight to blend flavors.
Serve cold from fridge or bring to room temp if you prefer. (I like room temp., Dan likes cold)

This makes a pretty big batch, so you might want to halve it.

The original recipe calls for wild rice blend and Deborah likes to use wild rice. I had neither in my pantry but did have a small bag of Black Japonica Field Blend Rice. I chose to use this rice since I’m on a mission to cook using ingredients I already have in my pantry and freezer. The rice has a dark brownish color and cooked to a nice al dente texture.

A few more substitutions were made. I used TJs organic corn that I had in my freezer. I found a bag of pepitas (small pumpkin seed) in the pantry so I used them in place of the sunflower seeds. I had on hand a bottle of Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar and that’s what went into the dressing instead of the raspberry vinegar. No celery in this salad since neither my husband nor I like it.

This is a wonderful and healthy salad. I’m saving this recipe for our next picnic or potluck. I think it would also be a great salad to take on our next camping trip. Thanks for sharing, Deborah!