Crispy Rice Salad
This crispy rice salad combines the best of the fall flavors with the simplicity and elegance of sheet pan meal preparation. Hands-off and budget-friendly, this salad will be on a weekly rotation in your home!
Similar to plant-based cheese alternatives, your way of making vegan “bacon” depends on how you plan to eat it. Tempeh bacon is great for sandwiches and wraps, crispy vegan bacon rashers are perfect for pancakes, and this salad features “bacon” made of crispy rice.
However, this crispy rice salad is much more than that! Roasted Brussels sprouts, kale, and onion go together perfectly with the tangy tahini dressing. Crispy rice “bacon” tops it off with its delicious smoky crunch… Yum!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s all about hands-off cooking! While your rice and greens are cooking in the oven, you can go about your business.
- Just because the weather is cooling down, it does not mean that you have to give up on salads. This warm crispy rice salad is an awesome way to enjoy your assortment of veggies in the fall and winter.
- Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. Particularly for crispy rice, most of the contents are spices. In fact, you probably already have them in your pantry!
- What a great way to use seasonal produce in the early fall! Sprouts, kale, and onions would be extra fresh at this time of the year.
- Got some leftover rice? Get scrappy and make crispy rice bacon!
Key Ingredients
- Cooked rice transforms into vegan “bacon bits” with the right seasoning and some time in the oven.
- Spices and seasonings like paprika, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder create the smoky, savory profile of the crispy rice.
- Brussels sprouts contribute a mildly sweet, nutty flavor with a tender yet crisp texture when roasted.
- Kale adds a slightly bitter, earthy flavor and a hearty, chewy texture that holds up well in even after cooking.
- Tahini mustard dressing is smooth, creamy, and slightly tangy to complement other flavors and textures of the crispy rice salad.
Hack It!
- If you’re gluten-free, use tamari soy sauce. Otherwise, the recipe is fully friendly for those with gluten allergies.
- Kale and Brussels sprouts both come from a cabbage family. If you can’t get one (or both), you can also use broccoli, thinly shredded cabbage, or even cauliflower leaves.
- There’s only a small amount of chili oil, so feel free to adjust the level of spice.
- You can serve this salad with a different dressing, too. Try it with ginger carrot miso dressing or vegan green goddess dressing!
How to Make Crispy Rice Salad
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or reusable silicone lining.
Step 2: Add the cooked rice to one sheet pan, along with soy sauce, chili oil, apple cider vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, parsley, and maple syrup.
If you cook the rice the same day, wait for it to cool down before you complete this step.
Step 3: Mix the rice with the seasonings and spread it evenly on the sheet pan.
Cook in the oven on the top rack for 40 minutes until crispy, tossing halfway through. You can broil the rice for 1-2 minutes at the end if desired.
Step 4: Next, prepare your warm salad base. To the second sheet pan, add the finely chopped Brussels sprouts, kale, and onion.
Step 5: Toss and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the oven on the lower rack for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are warm and tender.
Step 6: To make the dressing, add tahini, dijon mustard, fresh parsley, salt and pepper to a jug.
Step 7: Whisk everything together until smooth. Thin with some warm water as needed.
Step 8: Transfer the kale and sprouts into a mixing bowl.
Step 9: Toss the green base with the dressing and top with crispy rice. Alternatively, add the “bacon bits” and drizzle the dressing over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can use this recipe for meal prep or enjoy the leftovers cold.
It is, as long as you follow some basic safety rules. I never let rice go to waste: I use it for vegan rice pudding, sweet potato rice balls, or creamy rice and vegetable soup.
Don’t leave the cooked rice on the counter, refrigerate immediately as it cools down. If you’re using rice that has been leftover from another meal, make sure it’s no more than 2 days old.
Steer clear of sticky rice that makes porridge. Use a long-grain white or brown rice variety.
More Plant-Based Fall Salads
- Dumpling Salad
- Warm Broccoli Couscous Salad
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Couscous Salad with Feta and Mint
- Kale White Bean Salad
If you’re looking for the most effective ways to use your produce, you’re going to love PlantYou Scrappy Cooking! With over 150 vegan recipes, this cookbook will help you reduce food waste, save money, and get creative in your kitchen.
The Recipe: Crispy Rice Salad
Ingredients
Cripy rice "bacon"
- 1 cup cooked rice, cooled
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp chili oil, adjust as desired
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Salad base
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
- 2 cup kale, chopped
- 1 onion, small, sliced into rings
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Tahini dressing
- ¼ cup tahini, drippy
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp warm water, to thin, as desired
- salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Parchment
- Bowl or jar for the dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare two sheet pans.
- Add the cooked and cooled rice to one sheet pan, along with all of the listed seasonings and sauces. Toss until completely coated, and place in the oven on the top rack for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crispy. Before taking it out of the oven, to achieve an even crispier rice, you can place your oven on broil at high heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- While the rice bakes, prepare your warm salad base. On the second sheet pan, add the finely chopped Brussels sprouts, kale and onion, and toss. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and place the oven on the lower rack for 20 minutes, until warmed and tender.
- While the rice and salad base cook, prepare the dressing. Combine all listed ingredients in a jar and whisk until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as needed to thin.
- Remove the salad base from the oven and transfer to a bowl. Toss in the dressing and finish off with the crispy rice, which gives a "bacon bits" feel to the salad.
Notes
- If you’re gluten-free, use tamari soy sauce. Otherwise, the recipe is fully friendly for those with gluten allergies.
- Kale and Brussels sprouts both come from a cabbage family. If you can’t get one (or both), you can also use broccoli, thinly shredded cabbage, or even cauliflower leaves.
- There’s only a small amount of chili oil, so feel free to adjust the level of spice.
- You can serve this salad with a different dressing, too. Try it with ginger carrot miso dressing or vegan green goddess dressing!