Viral Crispy Rice Salad
Thai Satay-inspired peanut butter dressing. Crunchy, crispy salty rice morsels. A vibrant, and highly customizable salad of fresh vegetables, herbs, and edamame. Naturally vegan, full of flavor, and packed in protein and fiber.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
- 1 ½ cups shortgrain white rice cooked and cooled*
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as avocado oil
- ½ tablespoon chili crisp optional
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
Salad
- ¼ head red cabbage thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced in half moon shapes
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1 shallot or 2 scallions thinly sliced
- ½ cup steamed edamame pods removed, if necessary
- ½ cup fresh mango diced
- finely chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro, mint, and/or basil (optional)
Dressing
- ¼ cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
- juice of 1 lime 1 heaping tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste optional
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water or coconut milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
- Line a large (9x13) baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the rice in the center, then drizzle with the oil, chili crisp (if using), and soy sauce. Using clean hands or a spoon, stir until evenly coated. Spread in a thin even layer and bake until the rice is deep brown with crispy edges, about 30 minutes, checking for doneness at 20 minutes.
- In a large serving bowl, sprinkle the shredded cabbage with the salt, and, using clean hands, massage the cabbage. Set aside for about 5 minutes. Massaging the cabbage with salt will help break down the fibers. Add the cucumber, avocado, shallot, edamame, mango, and herbs (if using) to the bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a blender or food processor, combine the peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, miso (if using), honey, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until creamy. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of water, as needed, until the dressing is a pourable consistency.
- Sprinkle the crispy rice over the salad. Mix in the dressing and serve.
For super thin shreds of cabbage, use a mandoline slicer (the standard straight blade works fine, or you can use the julienne blade). Always use the guard for safety.
Notes
- *For the best crispy rice texture, use cooked white rice that has been refrigerated overnight.
- It’s very important to spread the rice out in a thin, even layer. If the grains are clumped or stacked, the rice won’t get crispy.
- For super thin shreds of cabbage, use a mandoline slicer (the standard straight blade works fine, or you can use the julienne blade). Always use the guard for safety.
- Persian cucumbers are ideal here. They’re crunchy, sweet, and have almost no seeds.
- There are so many ways to customize this salad. You can add or swap in shredded or julienned carrots, diced bell peppers, and thinly sliced crunchy romaine lettuce.
- This salad pairs beautifully with a variety of proteins, including Asian Garlic Ginger-marinated Chicken, Juicy Chicken Breasts, Honey Garlic Salmon, Tuna Poke, sliced steak, marinated or fried tofu, grilled shrimp, and more.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Other optional garnishes include toasted sesame seeds, Japanese pickled ginger, or chopped salted and toasted peanuts.
- This salad is best enjoyed fresh. The crispy rice will lose its crisp if stored in the fridge, however, the rice can be made a few hours in advance. The salad components can be made a few hours in advance, but wait until it's time to serve to cut up the avocado. The dressing lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 847mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1236IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg
