Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi
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
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!)
Recipe Head Note - crispy rice salad with halloumi
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.
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.
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.
Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi
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