Disclosure: This publish might include affiliate hyperlinks. I’ll earn a small fee for my endorsement, advice, testimonial, and/or hyperlink to any services or products from this web site.
This high-protein Crispy Rice Salad has all of it: seasoned baked rice with a ton of crunch, shredded 5 Spice tofu, and recent veggies, all tossed in a drinkable ginger soy dressing. It could be the most effective salad of all time! Vegan, Gluten-Free Possibility.
I’ve been loving the viral crispy rice salad development on social media, and this excessive protein Vegan Crispy Rice Salad is my official contribution! It swaps the leafy greens for a high-protein mixture of baked shredded tofu, crispy toasted rice, edamame, cucumbers, and bell peppers. It’s all tossed in a savory soy ginger dressing for a texture- and protein-rich meal filled with umami taste.
Desk of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
I can’t cease consuming this Crispy Rice Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing. 😍 Plain and easy, it’s the most effective salad that checks all of the packing containers: crispy, crunchy textures, layers of punchy Asian-inspired flavors, and sufficient plant protein to maintain me full for hours. I really like how roasting the rice within the oven provides it an insanely scrumptious nutty taste, and a superbly crispy texture that makes it a form of more healthy crouton!
- Additional Protein: Because of a powerhouse duo of shredded tofu and shelled edamame, this goes from “facet salad” to a totally satisfying, high-protein principal dish.
- Daring Flavors: 5 spice crispy rice amps up the Chinese language-inspired flavors, whereas hoisin sauce within the tofu ensures layers of umami in each chunk.
- A Drinkable Dressing: It’s vivid, zesty, and takes all of two minutes to make in a blender!
Similar to my Vegan Takeout-Type Fried Rice, this salad is palms down the most effective methods to scrub out your fridge and produce new life to day-old rice.
What You Want for This Asian-Impressed Rice Salad
This salad is extra like a taste and texture get together, thanks to those 4 parts:
- 5 Spice Crispy Rice: pre-cooked and cooled rice is seasoned with oil, soy sauce, and a Chinese language 5 spice mix. You possibly can prepare dinner the rice the identical day or use the leftover rice already in your fridge.
- Sticky Shredded Tofu: making this salad with shredded tofu versus tofu cubes or slices ensures you get some in each chunk. Seasoned with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha, you gained’t wish to miss out on these salty, spicy-ish flavors.
- Soy Ginger Dressing: mixing oil, soy sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil collectively yields a tangy, punchy dressing that’s so good, you’ll wish to drink it straight from the blender.
- Salad: every part is layered over a refreshing salad made up of edamame, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and inexperienced onions.
Methods to Make a Vegan Crispy Rice Salad
- Toss the cooked rice with the oil, soy sauce, and 5 Spice. Switch to a baking sheet and unfold it into a skinny layer.
- Add the shredded tofu to the bowl and season with oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Combine to mix, then switch it to the second baking sheet and unfold it into an excellent layer.
- Bake the rice and tofu within the oven.
- In the meantime, mix the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil till the dressing is emulsified.
- Add the cooled rice and tofu to a big salad bowl and prime with the edamame, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and onions. Pour half of the dressing on prime and combine to mix.
- Divide the salad between serving plates and prime with additional dressing and chili crisp. Take pleasure in!
Caitlin’s Cooking Ideas
- If in case you have the time, prepare dinner the rice 1 day upfront. Technically, you can also make crispy rice with each freshly cooked and leftover rice, however day-old rice toasts sooner and can grow to be additional crunchy within the oven.
- Use clear palms to work these seasonings into the rice. It feels somewhat messy, however it’s my go-to methodology for evenly distributing these great umami flavors and for breaking apart any clumps of rice.
- Don’t overcrowd the sheet pans, or else the rice and tofu gained’t get crispy. I like to make use of the again of a flat spatula to unfold and press the rice right into a flat, skinny layer on one of many sheet pans. On the second pan, I go away some room in between the tofu shreds to assist them crisp up across the edges.
Serving Ideas
I really like making crispy rice salads for refreshing summer season meals. All that protein and fiber from the tofu and edamame make one serving filling sufficient to get pleasure from by itself! As an alternative of spending extra time getting ready facet dishes, I’ll deal with myself to an enormous bowl and dive into the crunchy, flavorful goodness.
It’s a game-changer for meal prep, too. Every part, from the rice to the tofu to the dressing, could be prepped forward of time. I prefer to retailer the parts in separate containers within the fridge, after which, when lunch rolls round, throw every part collectively for a recent, crunchy meal.
In case you do wish to stretch this salad a bit additional, I’d suggest topping it with sliced vegan hen or diced avocado for extra bulk. You might additionally serve it with a heat bowl of this Vegan Miso Soup or a batch of those 15-Minute Garlic Inexperienced Beans.
In case you’re on the lookout for extra vegan salad recipes that ditch the greens, you’ll additionally love this Strawberry Avocado Crunch Salad, this Spicy Peach and Chickpea Salad, and this Dilly White Bean Cucumber Salad!
Methods to Retailer Crispy Rice Salad
Any leftover salad could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. The rice and tofu gained’t be as crispy after sitting, however every part will style nice.
All the parts could be made upfront in case you’re planning on consuming this for meal prep! Retailer the tofu, rice, dressing, and salad greens in separate containers within the fridge for as much as 5 days, then assemble proper earlier than serving. The rice will get a bit chewier over time, however it’s nonetheless very tasty!
Freezing just isn’t beneficial.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Variation: Be sure to use gluten-free hoisin sauce, and exchange the soy sauce with tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Frozen Rice Possibility: You too can make crispy rice with frozen and thawed leftover rice. Pat it dry with paper towels first to take in as a lot moisture as attainable earlier than tossing it with the seasonings and baking.
- Add Contemporary Herbs: In case you’re craving some freshness, be at liberty to mix the inexperienced onions with recent cilantro, parsley, and/or mint leaves.
- Optionally available Vegetable Add-Ins: There’s room for shredded purple cabbage, pickled ginger, and snap peas right here in case you’re trying to combine and match the veggies.
- Extra Garnish Concepts: I really like the chili crisp on prime, however if you need an additional “one thing,” you’ll be able to prime your salad with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, and/or diced avocado.
Recipe FAQs
I like jasmine and basmati rice finest, however each long-grain and short-grain white rice or brown rice will work nicely. Lengthy-grain rice tends to be mild and crispy, whereas short-grain rice retains a few of its chew.
Sure, so long as you air fry it in an excellent layer within the basket (it’s possible you’ll want to do that in batches). Air fry it at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes or till it’s crispy.
The rice is at its crispiest proper after baking. I like to recommend storing the crispy rice in its personal container within the fridge and tossing it with the veggies and dressing proper earlier than consuming so it doesn’t get too soggy.
Take pleasure in! In case you make this recipe and resolve to share it on Fb or Instagram, don’t neglect to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I might additionally like it in case you may go away a remark under with a recipe ranking! Thanks for the assist 😊
For the 5 Spice Crispy Rice:
- 2 cups cooked and cooled rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon 5 Spice
For the Sticky Shredded Tofu:
For the Soy Ginger Dressing:
For the Salad:
- 16 ounces shelled edamame cooked in accordance with bundle directions
- 3 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated carrot about x medium
- 1 pink bell pepper thinly sliced
- 3-5 inexperienced onions thinly sliced
- Chili crisp for drizzling on prime (non-compulsory)
-
Prep: Preheat the oven to 420F, with one rack within the prime third of the oven and one other rack within the center. Set 2 baking sheets apart; if they don’t seem to be nonstick, I like to recommend lining them with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
-
Season the Rice: Add the cooked rice to a big mixing bowl and add within the oil, soy sauce, and 5 Spice. Begin by mixing with a spatula, however swap to your palms to completely break up all clumps of rice and ensure every part is combined collectively. In case your rice is older and really dry, I like to recommend including 2-3 tablespoons of water to the combo to rehydrate it and make it simpler to interrupt aside. Switch the rice to one of many baking sheets and use the again of a flat spatula to press it into a skinny layer on the tray. Set Apart.
-
Season the Tofu: Add the shredded tofu to the identical bowl you used for the rice and season with oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Combine nicely with a spatula, till mixed. Switch the tofu to the opposite baking sheet and use a spatula to unfold it out evenly, so there’s some house between the shreds.
-
Bake: Place the rice on the highest rack of the oven and the tofu within the center rack of the oven, then bake for 20 minutes. Take away from the oven, combine the rice nicely, then unfold it out once more on the baking sheet. Repeat the identical course of with the tofu. Return the tofu and rice to the oven, however place the tofu on the highest rack and the rice within the center this time. Bake for an additional 10 to fifteen minutes, till the rice is crispy and brown and the tofu has crispy edges.
-
Make the Dressing: Within the meantime add the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil to a bullet blender or excessive pace blender. Course of for 45 to 60 seconds, till the dressing is emulsified and a lightweight tan shade. Put aside.
-
Assemble: Let the rice and tofu cool on their baking sheets for a couple of minutes, then add each to a big bowl (Observe: don’t add the rice if you’re not serving instantly; see the recipe notes for extra info). High with the edamame, cucumbers, carrot, bell pepper, and onions, then pour half of the dressing on prime. Combine nicely.
-
Serve & Retailer: Divide the salad between serving plates, then prime with additional dressing and chili crisp, if desired. Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Crispy Rice: In case you plan to serve this recipe instantly I like to recommend mixing within the crispy rice with the opposite salad substances in step 6. In any other case, hold the rice off to the facet and sprinkle it on prime of every portion. You possibly can retailer leftover rice in a separate hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days, although it would get somewhat extra chewy with time.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make this recipe gluten-free, and use a gluten-free hoisin sauce.
- Nut-Free: Omit the sesame oil from the recipe; you’ll be able to stir in 2 teaspoons of chili crisp into the dressing if you need somewhat additional “one thing”
- No Blender? No drawback! Finely grate the ginger and garlic, then add them to a gar with the remaining dressing substances. Shake vigorously till emulsified.
Energy: 809kcalCarbohydrates: 105gProtein: 30gFats: 30gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 16gLdl cholesterol: 0.2mgSodium: 1822mgPotassium: 1143mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 6423IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 7mg
