Crispy Rice Salad + Peanut Dressing
having fun with this trendy salad that's taken over IG
today I wanted to make that crispy rice salad that I have been seeing all over IG – needless to say it did not disappoint but I gotta say it was a challenge. not because the recipe is hard but because being present online is really outside my comfort zone. not to mention jumping back and forth from the camera to the stove. posting videos and even looking into the camera is honestly really hard despite how rewarding it can feel at times. it made me think about what true confidence really is – which is not actually a feeling but being willing to try and fail regardless of feeling confident in the moment. so i guess we could say it's more of an embodiment that we try to manifest for ourselves. sort of “faking it till we make it”.
if i waited to feel confident I may never do what it takes to push past the discomfort of being bad to get to where I want to be. if i waited to be good at recording and editing before ever posting a video i would probably never post and maybe would just give up and in the process not allow myself the opportunity.
all that to say - even if we may not feel confident yet, that doesn’t mean we should stop trying – being bad at something is just the first step. so even if the process is uncomfortable, here is to trusting the process. whether that’s experimenting in the kitchen, learning to chop vegetables or posting online.
About this Crispy Rice Salad
if you haven’t seen it, its been quite popular online with all kinds of creators recreating and sharing their take of this trendy salad. you can use all kinds of veggies but cucumber and red cabbage seems to a good base for the salad along with the peanut dressing. sometimes salads can be a little boring and this salad literally couldn’t be anything but the opposite. each bite is full of flavor from the fresh crispness of the veggies and the creaminess from the dressing. and if you enjoy a good fried rice - this is right up your alley.
Crispy Rice Salad
yields 4 servings
Ingredients for salad
1/2 - red cabbage, sliced ( about 3 cups )
1/2 - head of romaine ( about 1 1/2 cups )
1 - English cucumber, sliced
1 - red bell pepper ( about 1 1/2 cups )
1 cup - edamame, peeled
1 cup - avocado, diced
1/2 cup - peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup - cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup - basil, chopped
Ingredients for crispy rice
2 cups - leftover cold rice
1 tsp - chili garlic
1 tsp - chili crunch oil
1 tsp - sesame oil
1 tbsp - lime juice
Ingredients for dressing
1/4 cup - peanut butter ( I use Peanut Butter & Co. )
1/4 cup - lime juice
3 tbsp - olive oil
3 tbsp - rice vinegar
2 tbsp - sesame oil
2 tbsp - soy sauce
11/2 tbsp - maple syrup
1 large clove - garlic ( or 1 tbsp minced garlic )
1 inch - ginger ( or 1 tbsp minced ginger )
Ingredients for tofu Marinade
2 tbsp - olive oil
1 tbsp - soy sauce
1 tbsp - lime juice
1 tbsp - maple syrup
2 tsp - minced garlic
1/2 tsp - minced ginger
*black pepper to taste*
What you will need:
Sheet pans
Parchment paper
A blender
Cutting board + knife
Mandolin ( optional )
Instructions
Step 1 - Prep + marinate the tofu
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! First things first gather your mise en place, wash the produce and marinate the tofu. Dice the tofu into large blocks or cubes and smother in the marinade. The longer the tofu can mingle in the marinade the better the flavor pay off will be. I recommend air frying or baking to the tofu till golden brown and crispy which typically takes 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2 - Make the dressing + season the rice
Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a blender and blend till smooth and then transfer to a mason jar or food safe container of your choosing. Allow the dressing to sort of set in the fridge while the rest of the salad is being worked on to give time for the flavors to really develop.
Once the dressing is done, grab a bowl and with your hands crumble the left over rice to make it easier for the remaining ingredients to integrate. With a spatula stir in the chili garlic, oils and lime juice into the rice fully before spreading flat on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake the rice at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, giving the rice a little toss after the first 10 minutes to avoid any rice burning.
Step 3 - Cut the produce + build the salad
Lastly it is time to chop all the produce for the salad. I used a mandolin to slice the red cabbage and then diced and chopped the rest of the vegetables by hand. Once everything has been sliced and chopped add the cabbage, romaine, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, edamame and crispy rice to a large bowl and give it all a light toss. After this is when I drizzle over a generous amount of peanut dressing, top with the juicy chunks of tofu and sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and basil along with the chopped peanuts.
I served this in a large bowl to sort of enjoy as a group “family style” but you can of course plate this and portion it all out to serve individually.
If you make it, please tag me on Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3