Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi

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I love eating salads but I despise the prep. So if I’m making a salad, it’s gotta be good. Case in point. This CRISPY RICE SALAD WITH HALLOUMI ticks all the boxes with hella textures and flavours — refreshing crunch of cabbage slaw and cucumber slices, viral crispy rice (more about that below), buttery-toasted almonds and springy, salty halloumi cheese, all tossed in a sweet spicy tahini dressing. See what mean about it being a salad that delivers it all?

Have you tried crispy rice salad yet? From what I have gleaned in the online food universe, this crispy rice trend was born out of direct inspiration from Nam Khoa, a popular Lao dish with deep fried rice balls that get crumbled and served as an appetizer salad (lettuce wrap) with other tasty ingredients like cured pork (som moo), shredded pork skin, cilantro and peanuts. I learned all about it from the best Lao food blogger I know, Saeng Douangdara — check out his Nam Khao post and video here. I love making it in the air fryer because it takes less than 15 minutes. Thanks to Molly Yeh for sharing this genius air fryer hack on her Instagram. (Don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer, you can make crispy rice in the oven - see recipe note for instructions).

I can’t wait for you to try this CRISPY RICE SALAD WITH SEARED HALLOUMI. It will make you wanna take bite after bite after bite!

Eat well + be well,

Sonia x

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You May Also Be Interested in these other Salad recipes:

》tomato salad with toasted almonds and dates

》Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dried Cherries

》taco salad (a family fav!)

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Recipe Head Note - crispy rice salad with halloumi

1. Crispy rice oven method: Preheat oven to 400f. Spread rice evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even browning. Keep a close eye towards the end of bake time and pull rice out as soon as it has reached desired crispness.

2. I don’t have jasmine rice. Can I use a different kind of rice? Yes, you can use another variety of long-grain rice including basmati and American long-grain white rice.

3. What is sumac? Sumac (the spice) is a widely used spice in Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made from pulverized sumac berries which are the deep crimson colour. Sumac is tangy and fruity and lovely. It is so versatile and can be used with grilled fish and meats, sprinkled on salads, rice or dips. It gives any food a little pep like lemon juice would. If you don’t have sumac, feel free to omit it in this recipe.

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Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi

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Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi

This salad is anything but boring – it’s got hella textures and flavours that will make you want to eat bite after bite after bite. Refreshing crunch of cabbage slaw and cucumber slices, crispy rice, buttery-toasted almonds and springy, salty halloumi cheese all tossed in a sweet spicy tahini dressing.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 27 Min

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Ingredients

For the halloumi fries:

• 1 x 250g package Halloumi Cheese (I used Saputo Hint of Jalapeño Halloumi Cheese Fries)
• Generous drizzle of honey
• Oil such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

For the crispy rice:

• 2 C cooked jasmine rice, cooled and chilled several hours up to overnight – notes 1 and 2
• 2 tbsp oil such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste or red pepper paste
• Pinch of salt
• Splash of water

For the salad:

• ¼ C (40g) whole raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
• Oil plus small nub of butter
• 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 8 C (300g) thinly shredded green cabbage (or sub with packaged coleslaw)
• ¼ C (30g) thinly sliced red onion
• Handful fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

For the sweet spicy tahini dressing:

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey (or sub with maple syrup or brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or sub with more lemon juice)
• 1 tsp sriracha, more to taste
• ¼ tsp ground sumac – note 3
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Water as needed to thin to desired consistency

Instructions

1. Prepare crispy rice: In a bowl, add cooled rice with oil, tomato or red pepper paste and a splash of water. Mix well. Spread rice evenly on parchment-lined air fryer basket. Air fry at 400f for about 12 minutes or whenever crispy, stirring once at around the 9-min mark. See recipe note 1 for oven method.
2. Prepare dressing: If tahini is lumpy, whisk it first with a splash of boiling water until smooth. Add remaining dressing ingredients of olive oil, honey, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, sriracha, sumac, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well.
3. Pre-assemble veggies: In a large bowl, layer cabbage, cucumber, red onion, parsley and mint.
4. Toast almonds: Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Drizzle with a little bit of oil and add small nub of butter to the pan. Add chopped almonds with a pinch of salt. Toss to toast 2 to 3 minutes or when almonds are fragrant and golden. Scoop out and cool.
5. Prepare seared halloumi fries: To the same pan, add a small drizzle of oil and place halloumi fries in a single layer, slightly spaced apart. Pan fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and drizzle honey all over. Cool slightly.
6. To serve: Top bowl of pre-assembled veggies with crispy rice, toasted almonds and dressing. Toss to coat. Serve with seared halloumi on top.

Notes

1. Crispy rice oven method: Preheat oven to 400f. Spread rice evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even browning. Keep a close eye towards the end of bake time and pull rice out as soon as it has reached desired crispness.
2. I don’t have jasmine rice. Can I use a different kind of rice? Yes, you can use another variety of long-grain rice including basmati and American long-grain white rice.
3. What is sumac? Sumac (the spice) is a widely used spice in Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made from pulverized sumac berries which are the deep crimson colour. Sumac is tangy and fruity and lovely. It is so versatile and can be used with grilled fish and meats, sprinkled on salads, rice or dips. It gives any food a little pep like lemon juice would. If you don’t have sumac, feel free to omit it in this recipe.

Tried this recipe?

Leave a comment below to let me know how it went!

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Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should only be used as an approximation.

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