Winter Wild Rice Pilaf with Butternut Squash, Kale and Cranberries

This Winter Wild Rice Pilaf is made from seasonal vegetables like Butternut Squash and Kale as well as festive spices which help turn this light dish into a warming meal. Read on for the recipe.

A seasonal supper

I love eating with the seasons. Most of the vegetables I eat are either grown in my garden or come from my local veg bag scheme which provides fruits and vegetables from the farm up the road. There are tonnes of benefits to eating seasonally but for me the main benefit is that all of your ingredients will taste their absolute best!

Butternut squash

When considering which seasonal veg to add to this pilaf I knew I wanted to include squash. Squash comes in so many shapes and sizes and there are a wide range of different varieties that grow in the UK. Butternut squash is one that I've had good success growing at home and I love to roast big batches of it to add to recipes like these.

Butternut squash is at its best in the UK from September to December. You know it's ready to pick when the skin has become tough and its a pale orange colour all over. They are notoriously difficult to cut into because of this hard skin but the bright orange flesh is well worth it.

Butternut squash is a wonderful vegetable that adds some sunshine and sweetness to any dish. But what makes it perfect for enjoying in the winter months is that it's a good source of vitamins A and C which can help keep colds and other bugs at bay.

Kale

As squash come into season, kale is in abundance. There are three varieties of kale that you can purchase in the UK: black kale (cavalo nero), flat leaved kale (also known as Russian kale) and curly kale. All of these would work well in this recipe.

It's earthy flavour works well with the sweet butternut squash. Unlike the squash which needs roasting before adding to the dish, the kale is best added at the end. Simply pull the leaves from the stalks and add it right at the end, stirring through until its wilted.

Cranberries

Although I'm classing cranberries as a seasonal ingredient they don't generally grow in the UK. In fact, there's only one UK based cranberry grower! For that reason I use dried cranberries in this recipe. They tend to be a little bit sweeter than fresh berries which also works better with the dish.

The trick is to add them to the pan while the rice is cooking. They will soak up some of the cooking liquid, re-hydrating them so they become flavour bombs! (Though you may end up with red rice like I did if their colour leaches into the rest o the dish!)

For me, cranberries are synonymous with autumn and winter so I will keep cooking. And, in the meantime, I will keep trying to grow my own and hopefully fresh UK grown berries will become more readily available soon.

Wild rice

Believe it or not, wild rice isn't actually rice at all. It's a semi-aquatic grass that grows in North America. It is beautiful to look at with black, brown and white grains and has a wonderful nutty flavour. It's texture is firmer than rice which gives wonderful bite to a dish like this.

Wild rice can be grown all year round but is best enjoyed in the colder months.

Seasonal spices

I originally came up with the idea for this dish because I'm a huge lover of winter spice. Whilst I wanted something that would satisfy my need for something jam packed full of nutrients and goodness, I equally wanted something warm and comforting. Fresh garlic, root ginger, cinnamon and a hint of all spice and chilli gave me the heat I needed. Many of these spices also have medicinal properties and are good at warding off colds!

What I love about this dish is that in one mouthful you get sweet butternut squash and cranberries, earthy wild rice and kale, as well as the warm spices and the crunch of the buts. What more could you want in a dish?

The Recipe

Serve with...

Although we served this as a dinner in it's own right, I could equally see this served along side a whole host of roast meat joints at Thanksgiving, chicken breasts mid-week and more. If you want to serve it as a side then simply halve the portion sizes and the recipe below should be enough for 4 people.

If I haven't already persuaded you that this dinner is truly delicious then perhaps this will persuade you - it's a quick and easy meal that can easily be thrown together after work as we did. It's also a one-pot wonder meaning that you can spend more time snuggled up under a blanket on the sofa and less time at the sink doing the washing up. Hurrah!

More comfort food

If you love this recipe then why not try one of these other warming dinner recipes (all of which are vegetarian or vegan!)

Winter recipe archive

For the full range of winter recipes, check out my winter recipe archive.

Or click here to search all of my recipes based on the season.