Crispy Rice Salad with Asian Tahini Dressing
This crispy rice salad with Asian tahini dressing is a flavourful celebration of fresh, wholesome ingredients. Crispy baked rice, a low-calorie nutritious legume, plenty of fresh vegetables and avocado, all tossed in a creamy, tangy tahini dressing with hints of lime, sesame, and ginger. Easy to make with minimal hands-on time, this rice salad with lemon tahini dressing is perfect for a satisfying lunch or a high-protein side dish for your dinner. Packed with a variety of textures and flavors, it’s vegan and can easily be made gluten-free.
Protein Packed Vegan Recipes
Kale and White Bean Salad (Erewhon Copycat)
Mango Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad (High Protein)
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Rice Salad Recipe
Nutritious, Plant-Powered Salad – With low-calorie and high-fibre edamame as a star ingredient and abundant healthy fats and plant protein from avocado, this crispy rice salad is jam-packed with the nutrition your body needs daily. Each bite is loaded with antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals, ensuring a meal that leaves you feeling energized and satisfied.
Can Be Served as a Side or Main – This crispy rice salad recipe perfectly complements almost all your main courses with a perfect balance of plant-based proteins, dietary fibre, healthy carbs, and antioxidants. Alternatively, serve it as a standalone meal that’s filling and packed with everything you need for a wholesome, nutrient-rich lunch or healthy dinner without overwhelming your appetite.
Versatile – One of the best features of this recipe is its adaptability. Fancy a little bit of kick? Add chilli flakes or a dash of Sriracha to the dressing. Want to boost the protein content? Toss in some baked tempeh. You can also mix and match veggies like bell peppers, carrots, or kale to suit your taste.
Meal-Prep and Make-Ahead Friendly – Cook the rice 24 hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator, ready to crisp up when needed. Prepare the lemon-tahini dressing a day ahead and store it in an airtight container, saving you time when putting the salad together.
How to Make Crispy Rice Salad
Prepare the Rice
Make your rice according to the package directions, or use leftover rice.
Crisp the Rice
Lay your rice on a lined baking sheet and toss it with soy sauce and coconut aminos. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through to ensure even crisping.
Prep the Salad Ingredients
Thinly slice the mini cucumbers, dice the avocado, and shred the purple cabbage. Add these ingredients, edamame and green onions, to a large mixing bowl.
Make the Dressing
In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Assemble the Salad
Add the crispy rice to the salad bowl with the vegetables. Drizzle the creamy tahini dressing over the top, toss everything together, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Crispy Rice Salad
Use Chilled Rice for Crispy Perfection: The secret to irresistibly crispy rice starts with chilled, long-grain white rice. Freshly cooked rice tends to be too moist, so it’s best to cook it ahead of time and chill it for at least two hours—or even overnight.
Don’t Skip the Tossing: When baking rice, tossing it halfway through cooking time is crucial to ensure even, golden-brown crispiness on all sides.
Make It Gluten-Free: To make a gluten-free crispy rice salad, swap the soy sauce for tamari.
Store Leftovers Properly: Store leftover crispy rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. While the crispy texture of the rice may soften over time, the salad remains delicious and satisfying.
Make it Soy Free: To make this recipe soy free swap the soy sauce for salt in the dressing and omit it in the rice. You can swap the edamame for your favourite soy free protein source or use another legume such as chickpeas.
Swap the tahini! Not a fan of tahini? Swap it for your favourite nut butter such as almond or peanut butter.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
Green Pea Pesto Orzo Salad (100g protein)
Crispy Lentil Harvest Salad with Lemon Sage Dressing
High Protein Jennifer Aniston Salad
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Crispy Rice Salad with Asian Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
For the Salad
- 2 cups edamame
- 5 mini cucumbers thin slices
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 avocado diced
- 2 cups purple cabbage
- ½ cup Fresh mint or cilantro
Creamy Asian Dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 garlic
- 2 inch cube ginger
- 2-3 tbsp water to thin
Instructions
- Make your rice according to package directions or use leftover rice.
- Lay your rice onto a lined baking sheet and toss in soy sauce and coconut aminos.
- Bake at 400f for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Slice up your ingredients for your salad and add to a large bowl with your edamame.
- Make your dressing by blending all ingredients together.
- Add your crispy rice on top of your salad, followed by your crispy rice and your dressing. Toss to combine and enjoy!