Crispy Rice Salad

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 40

Servings: people

Calories: 591kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

This easy Crispy Rice Salad is the best way to turn day-old rice into an exciting meal! Fresh vegetables, crispy baked rice, and nuts are tossed in a punchy tahini dressing to leave you with a refreshing and satisfying lunch, dinner, or side dish.

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Equipment

Baking Sheet
Blender or Food Processor
Knife

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/4 cup tahini
3 Tablespoons lime juice
2 cloves garlic grated or minced
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili crisp
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated or minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 Tablespoons water as need to thin

Crispy Rice:

2 cups cooked and cooled long-grain white rice ideally refrigerated overnight or at least 2 hours
1 Tablespoon chili crisp
1 Tablespoon red curry paste
2 Tablespoons avocado oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 lime juiced and zested

Salad:

3 mini cucumbers thinly sliced (about 1 cup, or ½ english cucumber)
1 avocado cubed
2 cups red cabbage shredded
1 cup edamame shelled and cooked
½ cup cilantro chopped
1/2 cup chopped cashews

Instructions

Dressing:

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Start with 2 TBSP water and add more as needed to thin.

Crispy Rice:

Preheat your oven to 400-degrees. Add crispy rice ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Spread the seasoned rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until crispy, tossing occasionally during the bake time. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Salad:

While the rice is baking, add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
When rice is cooled, add it to the bowl with half of the dressing and toss to combine.
Enjoy with remaining dressing on the side.

Notes

Tips and tricks

Taste the salad dressing after blending to adjust the flavors as needed. Add a little more lime juice for brightness, maple syrup for sweetness, or water to get the right thick yet pourable consistency.
It’s important to use day-old rice that has been refrigerated overnight, NOT freshly cooked rice. Leftover rice has had the chance to dry out, which helps it crisp up in the oven.
If you must use freshly cooked rice, spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet after cooking and let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
You can take the nutty flavors up a notch by toasting the cashews in a dry skillet for a few minutes or until they turn golden and fragrant.

Variations

Add fresh fruit - Diced mango, papaya, or pineapple will all add bursts of tropical flavors that perfectly balance the savory-spicy dressing.
Mix and match the vegetables - You can swap any of the vegetables in this recipe with carrots, jicama, radishes, daikon, scallions, red bell pepper, spring onions, and/or shredded kale.
Boost the protein - Turn this salad into a hearty meal by topping it with smoked salmon, spicy tuna, boiled shrimp, or thinly sliced hamachi crudo. Cooked and cooled meats, such as larb-style chicken or fermented Thai sausage (Sai Ua), would also be great! Or, for plant-based protein, add chickpeas, green peas, or crispy tofu.
Extra crunch - Take the crunch factor up a notch with crispy fried shallots, shredded nori or furikake, pickled onions, or pickled cabbage.
Salad dressing substitute - If you want to switch it up, swap the tahini dressing for a spicy sriracha mayo, Asian sesame sauce, miso-ginger dressing, or a citrusy ponzu vinaigrette.

Nutrition