Camp cooking rewards the meals you think through before you ever zip up the pack. Cook the wild rice at home, cool it completely, and lunch turns into a true no-burner stop later—no pot to scrub, just a container to open and a quick toss on a log, tailgate, or flat rock. Backcountry Wild Rice & Summer Sausage Salad fits those midday breaks when you want something substantial without burning time or fuel.
Wild rice keeps its chew after a night in a cooler, so the texture stays lively instead of going soft. Smoky summer sausage brings a salty backbone, celery adds snap, and dried cranberries give little hits of sweetness that play well with trail appetite. A Dijon vinaigrette cuts through it all with enough tang to keep the bowl tasting bright, even in warm weather.
Pack it in a wide-mouth jar or sturdy container so you can stir without making a mess. Eat it straight with a fork, tuck it into tortillas, or scoop it up with crackers while you filter water or watch the lake settle. Cleanup stays simple: lid on, fork wiped, back on the move.
Backcountry Wild Rice & Summer Sausage Salad
Equipment
- pot (for at-home wild rice prep)
- Knife
- bowl or zip-bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 4 ounces summer sausage diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- At home: Cook wild rice in boiling water according to package instructions (about 35 minutes). Cool and pack in a sealed container or zip-bag.
- At camp: In a bowl or large zip-bag, combine wild rice, diced sausage, celery, and dried cranberries.
- In a small container, shake together Dijon, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour over rice mixture and toss to coat.
- Let sit 10 minutes for flavors to meld, then serve straight from the bowl or divided into trail bowls.