Crispy Rice Salad

This bright and flavour-packed salad is a celebration of colour, crunch, and umami. Crispy baked rice pairs with crisp, fresh veggies and a tangy lemon-tahini dressing, all brought to life by the rich, savoury depth of Kikkoman’s naturally fermented soy sauce.

MAKES: 2 SERVINGS

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

Ingredients

For the Crispy Rice:

150g cooked brown basmati rice, cooled

1 tsp Kikkoman soy sauce

½ tbsp chilli crisp or chilli oil with crunch

½ tbsp sesame oil

For the Salad:

About half a large cucumber, thinly sliced

75g shelled frozen edamame beans, thawed

1 ripe avocado, chopped

1 carrot, grated and thinly sliced

1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced

¼ red cabbage, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan). Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

2. Spread the cooled, cooked rice evenly on the baking sheet. Toss with the soy sauce, chilli crisp, and sesame oil until well coated. Bake for 20–30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crispy and golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumber, thawed edamame beans, avocado, carrot, roasted red pepper and red cabbage.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.

6. Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and cook for 6–7 minutes for a jammy yolk.
Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Once cool, peel and halve.

7. Just before serving, add the crispy rice to the salad and toss lightly to preserve some crunch.

8.
Divide into bowls and top with halved soft-boiled eggs if using. Enjoy!

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:

60ml EV olive oil

40ml fresh lemon juice (about ½–1 lemon)

1½ tbsp tahini

½ tbsp maple syrup (adjust to taste)

1 clove garlic, mashed or finely minced

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp Kikkoman soy sauce (or to taste)