Mushroom Crispy Rice Salad

As spring makes its welcome return, so does the craving for meals that are light yet satisfying – and our eye candy Mushroom Crispy Rice Salad delivers on all fronts. It’s the kind of dish that fills you up, not out – packed with fresh herbs, crunchy greens, golden crispy rice, and umami-rich mushrooms, all tied together with a punchy dressing. 

Perfect as a vibrant main or a standout side, this salad is a celebration of texture, health, and seasonal eating – ideal for spring menus, fun lunches or  a weekday dinner 

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp hot water
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp rice vinegar

Crispy rice:

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp gochujang*

Salad:

• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 small Mediterranean cucumber, diced
• 1 head baby white cabbage, very thinly sliced
• 100g steamed broccoli, cooled and finely diced
• Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 250g white button mushrooms, sliced
• 100g fresh lettuce leaves
• 2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Lime wedges, for serving

Method

Dressing

Whisk peanut butter with hot water, then add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning and set aside.

Crispy Rice

Preheat oven to 200˚C. Mix rice with soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochujang until coated. Spread thinly on a lined tray, bake 10 minutes, flip, then bake another 10 minutes until crispy. Cool.

Salad

Mix salad ingredients (except lettuce and peanuts) in a bowl, season, then toss with crispy rice and dressing. Serve on a platter with lettuce leaves, scatter with peanuts, and add lime wedges.

Spring’s Hero Salad: Fresh, Filling and Full of Flavour

The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association

Perfect as a vibrant main or a standout side, this salad is a celebration of texture, health, and seasonal eating – ideal for spring menus, fun lunches or  a weekday dinner 

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Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 2 tbsp ginger grated
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp gochujang* *Gochujang is a spicy, fermented chilli paste used in Korean cuisine. It is readily available at all Asian supermarkets as well as Woolworths, Checkers, Yuppiechef and a lot of online retailers e.g. Faithful to Nature.
• 2 spring onions sliced
• 1 ripe avocado diced
• 1 small Mediterranean cucumber diced
• 1 head baby white cabbage very thinly sliced
• 100g steamed broccoli, cooled and finely diced
• handful fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
• 250g white button mushrooms sliced
• 100g fresh lettuce leaves
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• lime wedges for serving

Instructions

 

For the dressing:

• Combine the peanut butter and hot water and whisk.

  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

  Taste to adjust seasoning and then set aside until serving.

For the crispy rice:

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

• Place cooked rice in a bowl with the soy sauce, sesame oil and gochujang.

  Mix the seasoning thoroughly into the rice with your hands so every grain is covered.

  Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.

  Spread the rice out in a thin layer. 

  Bake for 10 minutes and then agitate, flipping the rice over to evenly brown all the grains.

  Bake for another 10 minutes until brown and crispy.

   Set aside to cool.

For the salad:

• Combine all of the salad ingredients except for the lettuce leaves and peanuts together in a large bowl.

  Season with a little salt and pepper. Mix.

  Add the crispy rice and pour over the dressing.

  Toss to mix well. 

  Assemble dressed salad on a large serving platter.

  Plate lettuce leaves alongside the chopped salad.

  Scatter with peanuts and serve with lime wedges on the side and enjoy!

Keyword Broccoli, Button Mushrooms, White Rice