Description
A crunchy, fresh take on a classic summer bowl, combining warm pan-fried rice with bright herbs, crunchy nuts, and a zingy dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked white jasmine or basmati rice (preferably day-old)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or grapeseed)
- 1 large cucumber, diced (seeded if watery)
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, and parsley mix)
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds or chopped peanuts
- 1 small red chili or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for dressing)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: Break up any big clumps of day-old rice to make it loose and fluffy.
- Heat the pan and oil: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
- Crisp the rice: Add the rice in an even layer and press down gently to let it cook undisturbed for 3–5 minutes.
- Season and add scallion whites: Sprinkle salt and the white parts of scallions over the rice as it crisps.
- Remove and cool slightly: Transfer crispy rice to a bowl to drain excess oil and cool slightly.
- Prep the veg and herbs: Dice the cucumber and slice the greens of the scallions; chop herbs roughly.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, and sesame oil in a bowl.
- Toss everything together: Add warm crispy rice, cucumber, and herbs to the bowl and pour the dressing over, folding gently.
- Finish with scallion greens and serve immediately: Scatter scallion greens on top for color and serve while warm.
Notes
Serve topped with a fried egg as a light main or bring it to a cookout as a crunchy side. Components can be stored separately and tossed together right before serving to keep the rice crisp.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Crispy Rice Salad, Summer Bowl, Vegetarian Salad, Asian-inspired, Fresh Ingredients