This Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers is an exclusive recipe from Bri Beaudoin’s new cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen: Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone.
Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
Crispy rice is magical. Some people might get disappointed if the rice sticks to the bottom of the pot—but that’s the good stuff. This recipe takes a slightly different route to maximize crispiness by using a nonstick pan to cook both sides of the rice until golden brown. It’s then tossed with smashed cucumbers, fresh herbs, and a tangy lime dressing. Pickling the radishes with chili peppers makes them slightly spicy. If you want more heat, sprinkle some of the chilies onto your plate—or drizzle on some of the spicy pickling brine.
How to Make this Salad
Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
Ingredients
spicy pickled radishes
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 4 radishes - thinly sliced
- 2 fresh red bird’s eye chilies - thinly sliced
rice salad
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil - divided
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- mini cucumbers
- cups chopped baby bok choy 1
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves 2
- ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 8 oz 225g smoked tofu, cubed (optional)
- ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts Lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the Spicy Pickled Radishes: In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the boiling water, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in the ricevinegar, radishes, and chilies. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Make the Rice Salad—crisp the rice: In a large bowl, toss the rice, 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil, and salt to mix. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, drop a couple of grains of rice into it. If it sizzles, it’s good to go; if it doesn’t, heat the oil longer. Scatter the rice into the pan (set aside the bowl) and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, flip the rice in sections and cook, undisturbed, until the other side is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, smash the cucumbers: Trim the ends off the cucumbers. Place the flat side of your knife over each cucumber and press down with the palm of your hand until the cucumber breaks open. Tear the cucumbers into bite-size pieces and transfer to the large bowl (no need to wipe it clean). Add the bok choy.
- Make the dressing: Pour ⅓ cup of the pickling brine into a small bowl, using a fork to hold back the radishes and chilies. Stir in the tamari, lime juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil.
- Combine and serve: Transfer the crispy rice to a large serving platter. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the cucumbers and bok choy, toss to coat, and scatter over the rice. Scoop the radish out of the pickling brine and scatter them over the dish. Top with the Thai basil, cilantro, smoked tofu (if using), and peanuts. Serve with lime wedges and a small bowl of the pickling brine and chilies for drizzling (if you like things spicy).
Notes
- Opt for Shanghai bok choy (pale green stalks) instead of regular bok choy (white stalks) if you have the choice. Either variety will work, but the Shanghai variety tends to have a milder, sweeter taste.
- Thai basil has purple stems and is not the same as sweet Italian basil. It can be found at well-stocked grocery stores and Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find Thai basil, double up on cilantro.
Excerpted from Evergreen Kitchen: Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone by Bri Beaudoin. Copyright © 2022 Bri Beaudoin. Photography by Anguel Dimov. Published by Penguin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved. Click here to order a copy.
About the Book
The ultimate cookbook filled with over 110 wildly delicious vegetarian weeknight dinner recipes. 86 of the recipes are vegan-friendly, and 105 of the recipes are/can be made gluten-free. Whether you want to cook a vegetarian meal one night a week—or every night—Evergreen Kitchen has something for everyone.
About the Author
Bri Beaudoin is a recipe developer, food stylist, and certified nutritionist. Her debut cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen: Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone, will be published October 18, 2022. Bri is the voice behind the popular vegetarian food blog Evergreen Kitchen, a brand she runs with her husband and professional food and product photographer, Anguel Dimov. Their work has been featured in numerous publications, including Food52, Epicurious, Martha Stewart,Chatelaine, Clean Eating, and BuzzFeed. Bri and Anguel live in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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