Crispy Sushi Salad Recipe

The one, the only - George Eats is back on deck with her fresh and funky Crispy Sushi Salad recipe. Perfect for proving once and for all that you're the best foodie in the fam.

INGREDIENTS

For the crispy rice:

400g Jasmin rice, cooked and cooled (ideally the day before)

3 tbsps toasted sesame oil

1 tsp white sugar

1 tsp fine salt

For the dressing:

1/3 cup Remedy Kombucha Small Batch Yuzu & Mandarin

1/4 – 1/3 cup white rice vinegar (see notes)

1 tbps white sugar

Plenty of freshly grated ginger, to your tastes

1-2 tsps Wasabi paste, to your tastes

Seasoning, to your tastes

For the salad:

150g-200g edamame beans (defrosted if frozen)

2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped

1 small bunch of radishes (about 150g radish once trimmed) finely sliced

Pickled sushi ginger (gari), to your tastes (optional)

To finish:

½ - 1 avocado, cubed

2 tbsps toasted sesame seeds

3-4 spring onion greens, finely chopped (optional)

1-2 tbsps toasted sesame oil

METHOD

Step 1: Have the rice prepared ahead of time. This allows it to crisp up more effectively than using freshly cooked rice, which might become mushy.

Step 2: Preheat your oven to its highest setting and line a large, sturdy baking tray.

Step 3: Combine the ingredients for the rice flavourings in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the rice and stir or use your hands to coat the rice evenly in the mixture.

Step 4: Spread the rice evenly across the baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir the rice and turn the tray around to encourage even baking.

Step 5: Bake for another 20 minutes and repeat the process of stirring and turning the tray. The rice should be getting brown, so turn the oven down to 200C and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes.

The ideal consistency is super crispy and browned with some lighter, chewier bits of rice as well. 

Step 6: While you’re waiting for the rice, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Taste and adjust according to your preferences, keeping it mind that it will be super zingy and vinegary but this will tone down once it soaks into the rice and other ingredients. 

Step 7: Once the rice is browned and crispy, pour it straight into the dressing. Stir to coat, then add the remaining ingredients for the salad. Stir to coat everything in the dressing, then decant the salad onto your serving platter.

Step 8: To finish, spread the avocado cubes over the top of the salad. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and spring onion greens. I like to serve with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil for extra flavour.

NOTES 

The main trick to this salad is figuring out how much vinegar to add. If you are serving the salad immediately, use the lesser quantity of vinegar (or add it to your tastes). If you are intending to make the salad as meal prep, add a bit more vinegar. The rice tends to soak up the vinegar overnight and the salad loses a bit of zing. Adding a bit more vinegar will counteract this.

In a similar fashion, the more wasabi paste you add, the less vinegar you need. Wasabi creates a bold flavour meaning that less vinegar is necessary. If you don’t add any wasabi, you might need a bit more vinegar and ginger.

Add the grated ginger liberally! It really rounds out the flavour and will mellow out with all the salad ingredients.

By all accounts, you can make crispy rice in an air fryer which saves time. I don’t have an air fryer (yet) but this is an option for those who do.

I found that dividing the rice onto two trays made for a steamier oven than condensing the rice on a single tray. Steam is the enemy of crispiness, which is why I recommend sticking to a single large tray.

If you happen to have any yuzu juice on hand, you can add a splash to amp up the yuzu flavour.

If you have any crispy sushi sheets, they also make a delicious addition crumbled over the top.