Wild rice salad with hijiki

This packed and colorful salad is perfect for autumn. The sweet character of walnuts, sweet potatoes, chanterelles, and dried cranberries nicely complement the briny hijki and dark wild rice. If you can find fresh hijiki, that’s even better. If you do find it, you need only briefly blanch it in salted water to reduce the arsenic content. The hijiki will become bright green! As an alternative, we recommend using arame.

Serves 4

SALAD

2 cups (300 g) wild rice
0.5 ounce (15 g) dried hijiki or arame
2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, rinsed, and cubed
1 large red onion, sliced
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil for roasting and sautéing
7 ounces (200 g) oyster mushrooms, wiped clean and torn in small strips
1/2 cup (60 g) dried cranberries
1 cup (100 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
5 ounces (150 g) baby spinach
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

MISO DRESSING

1/4 cup white miso paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons mirin

Cook the wild rice according to directions on the package (allow at least 45 minutes), drain, place the
lid on the pan, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Soak the hijiki for 30 minutes in lukewarm water. Once it has rehydrated, drain and dab it dry.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sweet
potatoes, onion, orange slices, smoked paprika, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss with
a generous splash of olive oil. Arrange the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes,
until golden brown and crispy. Flip everything halfway through to allow even browning on both sides.
After 20 minutes, use a spatula toss in the cranberries. Return the pan to the oven for the remaining 5
to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and cool for a bit.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the oyster mushrooms until golden brown and crispy.
Season with salt and pepper.

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients into a nice smooth sauce. Combine the dressing with
the hijiki.

Toast the walnuts in a skillet until golden brown. Divide the spinach over four plates and add a scoop
of wild rice to each. Serve with the roasted vegetables. Top the salad with the hijiki and miso dressing.
Garnish with the walnuts and fresh parsley.

*This recipe is from the book Ocean Greens, written by our co-founder Lisette.