Sweet Chili Crispy Rice Salad
A crunchy, flavor-packed sweet chili crispy rice salad with pickled carrots and radishes, fresh herbs, edamame, and roasted peanuts. Perfect for healthy lunches, vegetarian dinners, or meal prep bowls.
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the crispy rice:
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
For the salad:
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 medium carrot
4 red radishes
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
2 Persian cucumbers
4 medium scallions
1/2 cup fresh basil, mint, or cilantro leaves, or a combination
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, crushed
1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, plus more as needed
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the crispy rice: Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and 1/2 tsp salt until smooth. Stir in cooked rice until evenly coated. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in a thin, even layer (reserve bowl). Bake 20–30 minutes until crispy and lightly browned, darker around edges. Let cool 5 minutes, then scrape from sheet with a spatula.
Pickle the vegetables: Cut carrot and radishes into matchsticks. In reserved bowl, toss with rice vinegar, honey, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let sit to pickle until ready to use.
Assemble the salad: Drain pickled carrots and radishes; place in a large bowl. Add crispy rice, shredded red cabbage, edamame, cucumbers, scallions, and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and drizzle with Thai sweet chili sauce. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt and sauce as needed.
Make ahead: Pickled carrots and radishes can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, stored in pickling liquid in an airtight container. Cabbage, cucumbers, and scallions can be prepped up to 1 day ahead in separate airtight containers.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Re-crisp rice in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes if needed.
Ingredient substitutions: Use almond or cashew butter instead of peanut butter, coconut sugar or maple syrup in place of honey, or mixed nuts instead of peanuts.