This Mediterranean crispy rice salad is packed with flavors and textures! Warmly spiced roasted cauliflower, crunchy chickpeas, and crispy rice come together with a creamy tahini dressing for a vibrant and satisfying dish.
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About This Recipe
This Mediterranean crispy rice salad transforms leftover rice into something irresistibly crisp and full of texture! It’s not your typical salad, with layers of crispy roasted chickpeas, warmly spiced cauliflower that turns golden and crunchy in the oven.
Creamy feta and quick-pickled onions are layered in and everything is drizzled with a silky and slightly sweet tahini dressing that balances all the bold flavors. With layers of savory, sweet, tangy, and creamy elements, this crispy rice salad may have a few components, but it's anything but boring!
📋 Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower florets into 1 inch pieces that are all roughly the same size, for even cooking and good caramelization.
- Harissa Paste: A spicy pepper paste with North African origins. Harissa can often be found in grocery stores and online. My personal favorite is made by Mina. If you don't like spicy, try the mild harissa paste which has the same great flavor, but no heat.
- Chickpeas: Pat them dry before roasting to ensure they turn out extra crunchy.
- Rice: A perfect way to repurpose leftover rice. If harissa isn't available, you could make yellow Mediterranean rice that's flavored with garlic and turmeric.
- Quick-Pickled Onions: Soak thinly sliced red onions in lime juice with a hint of honey for at least an hour to achieve a tangy-sweet balance. For an extra twist, try topping with sumac onions.
- Tahini Dressing: When making a tahini dressing, slowly whisk in the water. It will thicken at first then become smooth and pourable.
- Additional Toppings: Crumbled feta, chopped dates, toasted almonds, and fresh herbs not only add richness and crunch but also elevate the salad’s complexity.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Different Vegetables: Add roasted bell peppers, zucchini or roasted carrots for added crunch. Add massaged kale or arugula just before serving.
- Vegan Version: Omit the feta or swap out with dairy-free feta and replace the honey with maple syrup or date syrup.
- Other Nut and Seed Options: Substitute the almonds or add toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts. If nuts aren't an option, add sunflower seeds or pepitas for extra crunch.
- Other Additions: Add pomegranate seeds or golden raisins for a little extra sweetness.
⏲️ Instructions
Prep the Rice: Mix cooked rice with harissa sauce and spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cook the Crispy Rice: Roast the rice for 40-45 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until crispy. Let cool slightly and break into small pieces.
Roast the Chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with coriander, cumin, olive oil, and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until crispy.
Roast the Cauliflower: Toss cauliflower florets with coriander, turmeric, cumin, olive oil, and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine roasted cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, crispy rice, chopped dates, toasted almonds, crumbled feta, and pickled onions. Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley.
Add Tahini Dressing: Drizzle with half of the tahini dressing and gently toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Use Cooked and Cooled Rice – For the crispiest rice, use leftover rice that has been fully cooled. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and won’t crisp up as well.
- Spread Rice in an Even Layer – When baking, make sure to spread the rice in a thin, even layer on the sheet pan. This helps maximize contact with the heat and ensures every bite gets golden and crispy.
- Dry the Chickpeas – Pat the chickpeas completely dry before roasting. This helps them crisp up instead of steaming in the oven.
- Roast Everything at the Same Temperature – The cauliflower, chickpeas, and rice all roast at 400°F, making it easy to cook everything together. However, check halfway through and remove anything that’s done early to prevent burning.
- Assemble Just Before Serving – For the best texture, wait to add the pickled onions, tahini dressing, feta, and fresh herbs until just before serving. This keeps everything fresh and prevents the salad from becoming soggy.
Serving Suggestions
This crispy rice salad is hearty enough to be served as a vegetarian main dish or as a side with herb crusted salmon or chicken shawarma skewers. For extra zing, top with a handful of fresh arugula or a dollop of spicy zhoug sauce.
More Heart Salad Recipes
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Mediterranean Crispy Rice Salad with Tahini Dressing
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
For the Roasted Cauliflower:
- 1 head cauliflower cut into small florets
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Roasted Chickpeas:
- 13- ounce can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Olive oil for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Crispy Rice:
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1-2 tablespoons harissa sauce
For the Pickled Onions:
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Honey
For the Tahini Dressing:
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Additional Ingredients:
- 4 ounces feta roughly crumbled
- 4-5 pitted dates chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup sliced almonds toasted
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roast the Cauliflower: Toss cauliflower florets with coriander, turmeric, cumin, olive oil, and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
- Make the Crispy Rice: Mix cooked rice with harissa sauce and spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until crispy. Let cool slightly and break into small pieces.
- Roast the Chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with coriander, cumin, olive oil, and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until crispy.
- Pickle the Onions: Whisk lime juice and honey in a small bowl. Add sliced onions, ensuring they are submerged, and let sit for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the Tahini Dressing: Whisk tahini, water, honey, and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth and is the consistency of honey.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine roasted cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, crispy rice, chopped dates, toasted almonds, crumbled feta, and pickled onions. Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley. Drizzle with half of the tahini dressing and gently toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Cooked and Cooled Rice – For the crispiest rice, use leftover rice that has been fully cooled. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and won’t crisp up as well.
- Spread Rice in an Even Layer – When baking, make sure to spread the rice in a thin, even layer on the sheet pan. This helps maximize contact with the heat and ensures every bite gets golden and crispy.
- Dry the Chickpeas – Pat the chickpeas completely dry before roasting. This helps them crisp up instead of steaming in the oven.
- Roast Everything at the Same Temperature – The cauliflower, chickpeas, and rice all roast at 400°F, making it easy to cook everything together. However, check halfway through and remove anything that’s done early to prevent burning.
- Assemble Just Before Serving – For the best texture, wait to add the pickled onions, tahini dressing, feta, and fresh herbs until just before serving. This keeps everything fresh and prevents the salad from becoming soggy.
Blake says
We follow Chef Samantha and Her recipe page, Little Ferraro Kitchen and this Mediterranean Crispy Rice Salad just popped up. So what did we do Grabbed all the ingredients after dropping off the kids. Last night we made this hearty vegetarian dish for Meatless Sunday. Even the kids that are not fond of Meatless Sunday LOVED this dish. So, this recipe is a Huge score for this family.