Mediterranean Crispy Rice Salad

5 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Crispy Rice Salad

The viral crispy rice salad gets a very Mediterranean twist with this version, jam-packed with creamy feta, olives, cucumber, harissa-spiced crispy rice and a very vibrant, herby green tahini dressing. Perfect for entertaining, or meal prep.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: crispy rice salad, mediterranean rice salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 548kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the salad -

2 cups of cooked rice (or ⅔ cup uncooked long-grain rice)
1 tablespoon of harissa paste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cucumber diced
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
Handful of mint leaves chopped
Handful of flat-leaf parsley chopped
½ cup of olives chopped
2 cooked chicken breasts chopped or shredded (I love using this honey harissa chicken)
3 scallions chopped
½ cup feta crumbled
⅓ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped almonds or use dukkah

For the green tahini dressing -

½ cup tahini
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 garlic cloves crushed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup water

Instructions

Cook your rice (skip this step if you use leftover rice).
Add ⅔ cup of rice to a small pot you have a lid for. Add 1 cup of water, then set over high heat until you see foamy bubbles on top. Pop the lid on, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat (still with the lid on), and set aside for another 10 minutes, to finish steaming. After this, fluff up the grains with a fork, then spread it onto an oven tray lined with parchment paper and pop it into the fridge to cool, for at least 10 minutes.
Make your crispy rice.
Heat your oven to 400℉ (200C. If you're using leftover rice, transfer it to a parchment paper-lined oven tray. If you're using your fresh rice, get the tray out of the fridge. Add 1 tablespoon of harissa paste and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the rice and mix it through. Spread the seasoned rice into a thin, even layer (ideally one layer), then pop into the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, to crisp up. Check the rice after 15 minutes to see how it's going - some ovens are a little uneven and you may want to rotate the tray. Check it at 20 minutes too as it can easily burn and again, all ovens are different.

You can also make your crispy rice in the air fryer. Add the seasoned rice to your air fryer - I take the insert out, but you can leave it in if you like. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, then give the rice a little shake and air fry for a further five minutes until super golden and crispy.

Make your green tahini dressing.
Add ½ cup of tahini, ½ cup of chopped parsley leaves, 3 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of water into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blitz until a thick, green dressing forms with the consistency of double cream. Set aside. Add more water to loosen the dressing further if you like.
Mix your salad.
Once your rice looks lovely and crispy around the edges, remove the tray from the oven. Add the diced cucumber, pomegranate seeds, mint, parsley, chopped olives, chicken, chopped scallions, feta, dried cranberries and chopped almonds to a mixing bowl, or straight into the bowl you'll serve the salad in, for ease. Pour the crispy rice on top, then pour roughly half the dressing over the salad. Mix well to combine. Drizzle over more of the dressing to serve.

Notes

NO BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR? You can mix the tahini dressing by hand - just chop the herbs finely, crush your garlic and mix everything with a fork until thick and creamy.

INGREDIENT NOTES: Harissa is a North African chili paste and its spiciness differs depending on the brand you use. You'll find it with the spices in your grocery store. If you can't find it, use another chili paste. If you want to cook chicken specifically for this recipe, I like to use this honey harissa chicken recipe, the chicken in these Mediterranean chicken rice bowls or this miso grilled chicken recipe. You'll end up with more dressing than you need - but it keeps well and is lovely drizzled over anything and everything (grilled chicken, steamed rice, or even as a toast topper!)

SUBSTITUTIONS: Skip the chicken to make the salad vegetarian, or skip the feta for a dairy-free version. I like to add juicy cherry tomatoes to this salad too and you can play around with your ingredients for sure. If you don't like olives, use chopped sundried tomatoes or jarred red bell peppers. Swap mint and parsley for marjoram, oregano or even cilantro (coriander).

PREP AHEAD: Once you mix the salad with the dressing and store it, you'll lose the crispiness of the rice. It'll become a little chewy (which is still delicious!) but if you're entertaining or taking it to a potluck, I recommend mixing the rice and dressing through the salad just before serving. But it keeps very well (roughly 4 days in the fridge) and doesn't get soggy (!) so it's a brilliant one to meal prep.

Nutrition