Crispy Rice Salad with Red Pepper Tahini Dressing
Day-old brown rice gets seasoned and roasted until it's shatter-crispy, then piled onto a loaded veggie salad with a red pepper tahini dressing you'll want to put on everything else in your fridge too.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Blender or food processor
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
- 3 cups 480g cooked, chilled brown rice (day-old works best)
- 2 tbsp 30ml olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 4 cups 120g mixed greens (spinach, baby kale, or a spring mix)
- 1 red bell pepper diced (about 1 cup/150g)
- 1 cup 155g cooked, shelled edamame
- 1 Persian cucumber diced (about 1 cup/120g!)
- 1/3 cup 50g finely diced red onion
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 avocado diced
Red Pepper Tahini Dressing
- 1 cup 150g jarred roasted red peppers, drained (Trader Joe's works great)
- 1/4 cup 60g tahini
- 2 tbsp 30ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp 15ml olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp water to thin, max 4 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss chilled rice with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread in a thin, even layer on a sheet pan.
- Roast 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the rice is deeply golden and crisp at the edges. Let cool slightly.
- While the rice roasts, make the dressing: combine roasted red peppers, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time until it's pourable but still clings to a spoon.
- In a large bowl, combine the greens, bell pepper, edamame, cucumber, red onion, and scallions.
- Top with the crispy rice and avocado. Drizzle generously with dressing and toss gently, or serve dressing on the side.
Notes
Substitutions: White rice or quinoa work in place of brown rice, though texture will differ slightly. No tahini on hand? Sub cashew butter for a milder flavor.
Add-ins: Crispy chickpeas or pepitas add extra crunch if you want more texture.
Storage: Store components separately. Dressing keeps up to 5 days refrigerated, crispy rice up to 3 days in an airtight container (re-crisp in a dry skillet before serving). Dressed salad is best eaten same-day since the rice will soften.