Crispy Rice Salad With Halloumi and Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 to 4 servings
- ½medium red onion (about 2½ ounces), very thinly sliced from tip to tip
- ¼packed teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 3tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ¼teaspoon finely grated fresh garlic (one small clove)
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2½packed cups (about 10 ounces) day-old cooked rice, preferably sushi rice
- 8ounces halloumi, chilled (Vegan? See Tip)
- 1(5-ounce) package mixed baby greens
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
663 calories; 40 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 63 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 14 grams protein; 659 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the ginger-lime vinaigrette: In a large bowl, stir together the sliced red onion, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, garlic and ¼ cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside, letting the red onion marinate and tenderize.
- Step 2
Prepare the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high in a large nonstick skillet. Stir in the turmeric. Add the rice and cook, stirring quickly to coat the rice evenly, about 1 minute. (No need to break it up entirely; clumps are encouraged for texture.)
- Step 3
Season generously with salt and pepper, and let rice sit, undisturbed, until crispy underneath and toasted in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently turn the rice with a spatula, trying to preserve any clumps, and cook another 3 minutes, until crispy on the second side. (The rice should be almost equal parts crispy and chewy, and evenly stained by the turmeric.) Transfer to a large, paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet, set in an even layer and let cool.
- Step 4
Prepare the halloumi: Chop the halloumi into ¾-inch cubes, then pat them dry using a kitchen towel or paper towels. Wipe out the skillet, then heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add the cubed halloumi in an even layer and cook, stirring frequently, until golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. (Sturdy but delicate, halloumi needs to cook quickly at a high temperature so it sears without fully melting down and losing its shape. Stir attentively!) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with pepper.
- Step 5
When ready to eat, add the greens to the vinaigrette, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl or dish. (You want a big surface area to accommodate the toppings.) Scatter with the crispy rice clusters and hot halloumi. Serve immediately.
Tip
- If you don’t eat dairy, sliced or chopped avocado is a suitable substitute for the halloumi. It’s not quite as textural, but it will provide great richness and heft to the salad.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Lisa
If you don’t eat dairy, twice-frozen and thawed tofu (not silken) is also a suitable substitute for the halloumi. Freezing and thawing makes it firm and chewy.
LEW
This was a great way to repurpose leftover rice. I swapped into a cast iron for the rice bc the high heat required to get a true crunch would have been iffy in nonstick. Otherwise, made it as written and it was a hit. Chicken , tofu or beef could easily be swapped for the halloumi .
janice c
Halloumi crisped in air fryer would be even better.
Stephanie
My family loved this recipe! I added a little honey to the vinaigrette (or maple syrup would work) and it was perfect for us. Clean plates all around!
Helen E
Who would have thought that leftover rice would star in a salad. This was amazing. Made it 2 nights in a row. Thank you Alexa!
Anne
Yummy to add oranges and pistachios
caroline
Definitely make again!
myraf
Went at this not with halloumi but schwarma chicken thighs! The sliced meat went really well with the crispy brown rice and half of a big bag of baby spinach. Also mixed up some of the white sauce in the comments on the schwarma recipe (Sifton’s gem) as well as the vinaigrette here. Both good. Shallots rather than red onions (what I had) but also great. Did the schwarma in the airfryer with thighs cut into their natural halfs and then sliced onto combined rice and spinach. Loved the rice crisps.
Donna
Delicious! I loved the crispy rice—delightful addition to a salad.
Anna
This was such a creative use of leftover rice, and very filling as a dinner salad. I thought the lime flavor was overpowering and a bit of an odd combination with otherwise Mediterranean flavors. Next time I’ll use a creamy Greek dressing or red wine vinaigrette!
Name SMM
I made this as written and was a huge hit. HOWEVER, my mistake was not googling rice to water ratio for sushi rice (1:1) vs the usual 1:1.5 or 1:2 so my sushi rice was very gelatinous. I still used it and was able to brown the rice as directed in the pan but the rice was awkward to work with. Anyway - everyone loved how different this salad was. Also, my grocery store did not have halloumi so used a mix of paneer and another very firm white tangy cheese from Eastern Europe that held up well.
Ilene
There is now vegan halloumi.
LMW
Couldn’t find halloumi so we used paneer and it was fantastic
Stephanie
My family loved this recipe! I added a little honey to the vinaigrette (or maple syrup would work) and it was perfect for us. Clean plates all around!
Marissa
This was polarizing in our household. I loved it, my husband thought it was edible but “weird”. I subbed paneer for the halloumi so a little more salt is required.
kels
This salad has really nice flavour and is quite filling as a dinner! My only issue is that I’ve cooked it twice now exactly as directed and the rice never does what the recipe describes or how it looks in the picture. Flavour is there but it never clumps together and gets crispy like this describes. Maybe cast iron would work better than nonstick?
kim t
BEST DINNER EVER! Added baked salmon for protein - exquisite! When we have salad for dinner my husband will inevitably ask, “is this all we are having?” Tonight that question was never posed, and in fact he declared, “this is delicious!”
chelsea
I am in love with this salad, I've made it a few times now since discovering it about a month ago. So quick/easy/delish!
Hope I Will
Swapped sweet onion for red because it was on hand and omitted the ginger because my root was bitter. Ended up being excellent anyhow. I also used leftover pork loin as a protein.
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