Description
Crispy rice salad is a vibrant, textured dish combining crunchy baked rice with fresh vegetables and a flavorful dressing. It offers a delightful contrast of crispy and tender elements with a healthy, gluten-free, vegan profile, perfect as a refreshing side or light main meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Dressing
- 350 g / 12 oz (about 3 cups) cooked basmati or long grain rice
- 20 ml / 4 tsp neutral oil (for baking rice)
- 20 ml / 4 tsp soy sauce or tamari (for baking rice)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp toasted sesame oil or chili oil (or both)
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp neutral oil, like grapeseed (for dressing)
- 20 ml / 1.5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari, more to taste (for dressing)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp maple syrup
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Vegetables
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 small avocado
- 100 g / 3.5 oz edamame (frozen or fresh)
- 10 radishes
- 200 g / 7 oz tenderstem broccoli
- 2 small spring onions/scallions
- A handful of mint and/or coriander
Garnish
- 50 g / 1/3 cup toasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F (no fan). Gather a large baking tray and bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl with cold water and a spider strainer or slotted spoon for blanching vegetables.
- Crisp the Rice: In a mixing bowl, combine 20 ml neutral oil and 20 ml soy sauce or tamari. Add the cooled cooked rice and toss well to coat evenly. Spread the rice on the baking tray in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring and tossing the rice halfway through to ensure even crisping. Remove from oven and allow to cool as the rice will continue to crisp as it cools.
- Blanch the Broccoli: Cut broccoli into bite-size segments, separating florets from stems and halving thick stems to ensure even cooking. When the water boils, add the broccoli and simmer for approximately 3 minutes until tender but still crisp. Immediately remove using the spider strainer and plunge into cold water to halt cooking and preserve color. Drain well.
- Cook the Edamame: Return the pot of water to a boil. Add frozen edamame and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water to retain color. Drain thoroughly once cooled.
- Prepare the Fresh Vegetables: Dice the cucumber and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Cut radishes into thin matchsticks. Finely chop spring onions and your choice of mint and/or coriander.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together toasted sesame oil or chili oil, 15 ml neutral oil, 20 ml soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar until well combined.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the blanched broccoli, cooked edamame, cucumber, avocado, radishes, spring onions, and herbs. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Transfer the dressed vegetables to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top generously with the cooled crispy rice and roughly chopped toasted peanuts. Optionally, serve with tofu for a more substantial main meal.
Notes
- Crispy rice salad is a fantastic way to use leftover rice, giving it new life with texture and flavor.
- The salad is vegan, gluten-free, and full of fresh, vibrant ingredients.
- Adjust the soy sauce amount in the dressing to taste, especially if you prefer less sodium.
- For a main meal, add grilled or pan-fried tofu for protein.
- To enhance the crispy texture, allow the rice to cool completely after baking before adding to the salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/3 of total recipe)
- Calories: 382
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 615 mg
- Fat: 21.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.85 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.2 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
- Protein: 10.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
