Last Updated on October 28, 2025 by Kymberley
Lake-Harvested Wild Rice, Cranberry, and Kale Pilaf
This ultra-simple side dish uses nutty wild rice with the sweetness of cranberries and kale to complete a dinner that doesn’t get much better!
ABOUT THIS RECIPE (per serving)
Lake wild rice (Zizania palustris) grows naturally on more acres of lakes and riverbeds in Minnesota than in any other state. In Northern Minnesota, the Ojibwe people hand-harvest it from canoes in reservation waters. As you might guess, the wild rice grown there has been an essential social and cultural component for Native Americans and rural Minnesota communities.
Considered a gift from the Creator, lake wild rice grain has been a center of the Ojibwe diet and culture for centuries.
According to legend, the Ojibwe followed a prophecy to find (the place) where the food grows on the water around Lake Superior, particularly in Minnesota.
Lake rice, reaped from the northern aquatic grass resembling the grain, was “tamed” during the 1960s when scientists and businessmen made it into an industry. As the story goes, these men began growing the rice in paddies and planting and harvesting it by machine. During the cultivation process of the paddy-grown “wild rice,” they changed the rice by making it uniform in size and almost black in appearance.
The two look and taste completely different!
I was first introduced to Minnesota lake-harvested wild rice early on in my marriage when my brother-in-law, who was then living in Minnesota, gifted me a small bag of the edible grown grain.
My preference in wild rice...
After cooking with both wild rice types, I prefer the nutty, earthy grain of the natural lake hand-harvested and smoke-parched wild rice. It’s an instant treat to include in your cooking. You’ll notice that the grain of the lake wild rice looks irregular and is light brown. Even the smell is fantastic! It has a delicious, natural, nutty aroma before it’s cooked. The taste delivers a deliciously rich, nutty flavor and enjoyable texture. It cooks quickly, usually in just 15 to 20 minutes, making it an easy addition to any meal.
Mass Production:
In comparison, you’ll find that the mass-produced paddy rice is much darker than natural-grown lake wild rice. It takes considerably longer to cook, and I’ve found that the rice is not as fluffy after cooking. Many consumers describe the taste as rather bland. I would agree. Cooking times vary depending on the heat it’s cooked at, the moisture content of the rice, how it was parched (dried), and your preference for chewiness. Another difference is that most industry operations use herbicides for spraying rice paddies. But on a positive note, the paddy-grown variety is a little easier on your pocketbook if you’re on a tight budget.
My wild rice education...continue reading...
Years after my first introduction to the grain, I gained most of my knowledge about wild rice (about both grown types) during a sales trip to northern Minnesota.
Being my first sales ride-along to the northern part of the state, I didn’t realize the distance between the small towns and businesses on our list of daily stops. Despite the miles, the morning went by quickly. We talked primarily small talk about how to use the garnishes (the products I sold) in drinks and how to upsell the distributor’s customers so we all could make money. The day’s agenda was pretty much by the book – C-stores in the morning, liquor stores, bar-cafés, and restaurants in the afternoon.
It was a little past the lunch hour when my distribution manager suggested we stop for a bite.
I spied Wild Rice:
We barely made it through the front door of the log cabin-style bar-café when I spied a bag of wild rice on the counter that looked just like the kind my brother-in-law had introduced me to years before. Of course, I had to buy it. Little did I suspect my purchase would spark a whole afternoon of conversation about wild rice?
Through lunch and between our afternoon stops, I became the student, learning much about Minnesota lake wild rice versus the Minnesota-grown mass-cultivated variety. The story and history of both are fascinating. I learned about the legend and spirituality of wild rice for the Ojibwe people, the labor-intensive hulling and sorting of the natural grain (called winnowing), and wood parching to dry the lake rice, leaving it moist, fast-cooking, and deliciously flavorful.
Cultivated is a Dirty Word …
I also learned much about how “cultivated” is considered a swear word on the reservation.
We also discussed other things, like how inclement weather can affect crops in farming and harvesting, how wild lake rice is a source of income for the people on the reservation and surrounding communities, and how the availability of cheaper paddy rice has dropped the price of wild rice.
Following that trip, I came away with a much greater appreciation for the hand-harvested lake wild rice that had been introduced to me years before. In years since, my learnings about it have given me a greater appreciation for other types of food. It taught me to continually question how the foods I prepare for my family are grown, harvested, and produced before we eat them.
An excellent side dish...
What to pair with wild rice...
Cranberries and kale are my favorite ingredients to pair with lake wild rice.
In this recipe, I use them to make an ultra-simple side that’s an excellent complement to just about any protein dish. From fish, chicken, pork, or beef, this healthy, delicious pilaf blend is a number one favorite among young and old.
But, before I get to the recipe, let me say that for years, I overlooked kale as a vegetable to include in my family’s diet. For some odd reason, I always thought it was a strong-flavored vegetable without many possibilities. But Boy, Oh Boy, was I wrong!
CLICK HERE to read about how to eat the most deliciously flavorful kale.
Enjoy more of my wild rice recipes...
Lake-Harvested Wild Rice, Cranberry, and Kale Pilaf
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Ingredients
Equipment
Nutrition
Method
- Bring the wild rice, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and cover to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the rice is tender and the grain kernels pop open, approximately 15 to 20 minutes for lake-harvested wild rice. [1]
- Soften and rehydrate the cranberries in apple juice until ready to use.
- Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the onions, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and the onions turn translucent.
- Add the cranberries and the kale; sauté for about 5 minutes more.
- Add the cooked and rinsed wild rice. Stir into the cranberry, onion, and kale mixture. Salt and pepper to taste; sauté 5 to 6 minutes more.
- Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish with candied pecan (if using) [2]. Serve warm.
Kitchen Notes
Personal Notes
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(Nutritional values are an approximation. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.)
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