Crispy Rice and Tofu Salad
If you’ve ever wanted a masterclass in how to put together a perfect vegetarian salad, this crispy rice and tofu salad is it. It’s packed with different textures (crispy rice against juicy cucumbers – delightful), different flavours (a creamy tahini dressing with soy sauce and a touch of honey – delectable), and interesting contrasts (spicy tofu vs. fresh veggies – wonderful!).
I can’t take full credit for this crispy rice salad, as I’ve seen variations on this theme all over the internet for the past few months – but this version is my own, and I’m so glad I gave it a try. Roasted rice may sound utterly bizarre, but it works so well, and brings a wonderful crunch to this salad.
⭐️ What is Roasted Rice Like?
Roasting is a great way to use up leftover rice. It may sound bizarre, but when you reheat the rice in the oven, it becomes crispy and chewy, and if you cook it with chilli oil and soy sauce like I did, it’s seriously tasty.
I also added some crumbled tofu to the oven, which also crisps up nicely, and soaks up all the flavour to become really tasty, chewy little nuggets.
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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this crispy rice salad. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- leftover rice. If you don’t have any pre-cooked rice, you can cook it from fresh, but it works better with day-old rice.
- extra firm tofu
- coleslaw mix – a mixture of shredded cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. If you can’t find a prepared coleslaw mix, you can shred your own vegetables.
- edamame (soya beans) – I used frozen.
- cucumber
- cashew nuts
- soy sauce
- chilli oil – the stuff I used is really hot! If you’d prefer your salad to be a bit less spicy, use some regular cooking oil in place of some of the chilli oil.
- tahini (sesame seed paste) – use smooth peanut butter if you can’t get tahini.
- honey (or agave, for a vegan salad)
This recipe is really just a jumping off point – there are all sorts of other ingredients you could add, if you like. Some examples:
- swap the cashews for sesame seeds or chopped peanuts
- add some fresh diced avocado (as long as you’re planning to eat the salad straight away, before the avocado can brown)
- freshen things up with cilantro (coriander) and spring onions
- serve everything on a bed of crunchy lettuce
Becca’s Top Tip
This salad is best eaten within about 24 hours. If you leave it in the fridge much longer, the rice and tofu lose their crispiness, and can begin to taste a bit ‘stale’.
📹 Recipe Video
🖨️ Printable Instructions
Crispy Rice and Tofu Salad
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 280 g (~ 10 oz) extra firm tofu
- 500 g (~ 4 cups) cooked white rice (or 125g / 1 cup uncooked rice, boiled)
- 2 Tablespoons chilli oil
- 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 150 g (~ 1 cup) edamame (soya beans) (I used frozen)
- 300 g (~ 2/3 lb / 4 cups) coleslaw-style shredded vegetables (cabbage, red cabbage, carrot)
- 8 inch piece cucumber, diced
- 50 g (~ 1/3 cup) cashew nuts, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon tahini (or peanut butter)
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey or agave
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- Crumble the extra firm tofu onto a large baking tray, and add the cooked rice. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp chilli oil (or 1 Tbsp chilli oil + 1 Tbsp regular cooking oil) and 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and mix well to combine. Spread the ingredients out into a single layer (you can spread them across two trays if needed).
- Bake the tofu and rice until crispy, stirring a couple of times throughout to ensure they cook evenly. Mine took about 40 minutes to become crispy, but not burned.
- While the tofu and rice are baking, prepare the other ingredients. First, if you’re using frozen edamame, defrost them for a minute in the microwave, or a few minutes in a pan of boiling water, then set aside to cool. Add the coleslaw vegetables (or your own mixture of chopped cabbage and grated carrot) to a large mixing bowl, and add the diced cucumber, chopped cashew nuts, and cooled edamame.
- In a small bowl, combine the tahini, honey, and a further 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix well. You can add a small splash of water if the mixture seems too thick – it should easily drip off the spoon. Taste the mixture, and adjust as needed – for example, if it tastes a little bitter, add a bit more honey.
- When the tofu and rice are crispy, you can allow them to cool completely if you like, or add them to the salad when they’re still a little warm. Also add the tahini dressing, and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Serve the salad straight away, or store in the fridge to serve within the next 24 hours.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the salad in advance and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge. Since rice can cause food poisoning if it’s not treated properly, it’s best to use up the salad as quickly as possible. It also tastes best if eaten within about 24 hours.
Absolutely – just use agave instead of the honey.
Soy sauce is generally not gluten free, but there are GF versions available. Make sure you choose a gluten free option if needed.
Hi Becca, this new recipe looks great. I can’t wait to try it!
Two comments:
1. Could I use a sachet of precooked rice in this instead of leftover or cooking from scratch?
2.
Where’s the cheese? 🤣 I always look through your recipes to see where the cheese is and this one there’s none! You’ll have to change the blog name haha.
Thanks Claire! Yes I think a sachet of rice would work fine. And there’s not cheese in ALL of my recipes… just most ;)