Crispy Rice Salmon Crunch Salad

Video

Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is a power salad with personality. You get heat, freshness, crunch and creaminess all at once. The crispy rice is golden and deeply savoury. The salmon has shatteringly crisp skin with a still-juicy centre. The herbs keep it bright, the avocado keeps it luxurious, and the dressing is nutty, tangy and creamy in all the right ways.

It’s the kind of salad you actually crave. A proper meal, not an afterthought.

What Makes It a “Crunch” Salad?

It’s all about layers of texture, not just the crispy rice (though that’s the star). You’ve also got cool cucumber, fresh herbs, spring onions and just-cooked edamame. Then the salmon itself brings another kind of crunch thanks to that perfectly crisped skin.

The whole thing is designed to be mixed together so every bite has a crackle, a pop and a creamy finish.

Special Ingredient Notes

Salmon:

Searing gives you crisp skin and a tender interior. Breaking it into chunks by hand keeps the pieces rustic and substantial.

Crispy Rice:

Cold cooked rice is key. Tossing it with soy, sesame oil and chilli oil before baking amps up the flavour and crunch.

Fresh Herbs:

Mint, coriander, dill and spring onions keep everything lively and aromatic.

Peanut Coconut Dressing:

Whisked (not blended) so it stays silky, light and pourable.

Storage Tips

For maximum crunch, keep everything separate until serving. The crispy rice will soften once dressed, so assemble right at the table if you’re entertaining.

What You Need

Salmon fillets

Cooked rice

Soy sauce

Sesame oil

Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil

Cucumber

Red chilli

Coriander

Mint

Dill

Spring onions

Edamame

Avocado

Peanut butter

Coconut milk

Lime juice

Honey

Soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Steps

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan). Line

a baking tray

with baking paper. Spread the cooled rice onto the tray and toss with the soy sauce,

Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil

and sesame oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool.

Season the salmon fillets generously with salt. Heat

a non-stick pan

over medium-high heat. Add the oil and place the salmon skin-side down and press gently for 30 seconds to keep the skin flat (I like to use

a meat press

here). Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the centre is just cooked. Rest briefly, then break into chunky pieces.

Whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust as needed.

Use a spoon to break up the crispy baked rice.

Place the salmon, cucumbers, avocado, red onion, edamame, coriander, mint, dill, spring onions, chilli into

a large serving bowl.

Add the crispy rice and then pour over the dressing, toss gently and serve immediately.

Marion’s Kitchen Tip

If you want an even crispier rice finish, spread it out in a thinner layer on the tray. More surface area means more crunch. And when cooking salmon, resist the urge to move it. Once the skin crisps, it will naturally release from the pan.

Crispy Rice Salmon Crunch Salad

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PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

35 minutes

SERVES

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Ingredients

Salmon

2 x 250g salmon fillets

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oil, for searing

For the Crispy Rice

3 cups cooked rice, cooled

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp

Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

For the Salad

2 Persian cucumbers or Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 avocado, diced

½ small red onion, finely sliced

½ cup cooked edamame

¼ cup roughly chopped coriander

¼ cup roughly chopped mint

¼ cup roughly chopped dill

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 sliced long red chilli

For the Dressing

2 tbsp peanut butter

⅓ cup coconut milk

2 tbsp lime juice

½ tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan). Line

a baking tray

with baking paper. Spread the cooled rice onto the tray and toss with the soy sauce,

Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil

and sesame oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Season the salmon fillets generously with salt. Heat

a non-stick pan

over medium-high heat. Add the oil and place the salmon skin-side down and press gently for 30 seconds to keep the skin flat (I like to use

a meat press

here). Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the centre is just cooked. Rest briefly, then break into chunky pieces.

Step 3

Whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust as needed.

Step 4

Use a spoon to break up the crispy baked rice.

Step 5

Place the salmon, cucumbers, avocado, red onion, edamame, coriander, mint, dill, spring onions, chilli into

a large serving bowl.

Step 6

Add the crispy rice and then pour over the dressing, toss gently and serve immediately.