Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi and Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

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Crispy Rice Salad with Halloumi and Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

If you delight in leftover rice — and the infinite ways to put it to good use — here’s another technique to add to your repertoire: Crisp cooked rice in just a couple tablespoons of hot oil until it’s scorched in spots, and simultaneously crunchy and chewy. The turmeric-stained rice clusters are used as salty croutons in this salad of ginger-lime marinated onions, seared halloumi and a pile of baby greens, a delicate backdrop that highlights the rice’s crunch and the halloumi’s squeak. A riot of texture, this salad crackles and pops.

Rating

Ingredients

  • 1/2medium red onion (about 2 1/2 ounces), very thinly sliced from tip to tip
  • 1/4packed teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  • 3tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
  • 1teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4teaspoon finely grated fresh garlic (one small clove)
  • 1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1/2teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 1/2packed cups (about 10 ounces) day-old cooked rice, preferably sushi rice
  • 8ounces halloumi, chilled (Vegan? See Tip)
  • 1(5-ounce) package mixed baby greens
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

Make the ginger-lime vinaigrette: In a large bowl, stir together the sliced red onion, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside, letting the red onion marinate and tenderize.

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.)

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.

Prepare the halloumi: Chop the halloumi into 3/4-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.

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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 40 gramsCalories: 663Saturated Fat: 11 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 26 gramsSodium: 659 milligramsSugar: 1 gramFiber: 1 gramCarbohydrate: 63 gramsProtein: 14 grams
Salads

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023415-crispy-rice-salad-with-halloumi-and-ginger-lime-vinaigrette