Green Bean and Wild Rice Salad
[Vegan]

To Make the Salad:

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add green beans to water and cook for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. In a medium bowl, add 2-3 cups of ice and equal water.
3. Transfer green beans to the ice bath with tongs or a slotted spoon to halt cooking and preserve their bright green color.
4. Add rice to the green bean water and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes with lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape. Strain water from the rice, return the rice to the pot, cover with a lid, and set back on burner with the heat off for 20-30 minutes. Rice will steam and soften during this time.
5. Remove green beans from the ice bath. Dry them with paper towels. Cut green beans into bite-size pieces and transfer them to a large bowl.
6. Add sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, red onion, kalamata olives, dried cranberries, and Italian parsley. Toss to combine.

To Make the Dressing:

1. Combine garlic, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, oil from sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and sherry wine vinegar in a small bowl. Briskly whisk to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.
2. Add wild rice to the green bean mixture. Toss to combine. Add dressing, toss to combine.
3. Just before serving, sprinkle salad with toasted almonds.