Crispy Rice & Cucumber Salad with Original Chili Crisp

This contemporary crispy-rice salad is built around warm crunch and cool vegetables. Radish and mint sharpen the cucumber-and-edamame combination, while Original Chili Crisp seasons the dressing after the rice leaves the oven. It draws on the modern crispy-rice salad format and is not presented as traditional Lao nam khao.

About 7 cups; 4 generous side servings of about 1 3/4 cups. Cooked volume varies with the rice and vegetable cuts.

Allow about 45 minutes using the specified fully cooked rice: about 15 minutes for preparation and finishing, and up to 30 minutes to crisp the rice. Preheating and cooking the edamame overlap preparation and baking. Starting with dry rice adds its cooking and safe cooling time; that alternative is not included in this estimate.

Ingredients

• 2 (8.8-ounce/250 g) shelf-stable pouches plain fully cooked jasmine rice, 500 g total, unopened until preparation; not dry or partially cooked rice
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, for crisping the rice
• 1 cup (150 g) frozen shelled edamame
• 2 cups (480 ml) water, for boiling the edamame
• About 3 small Persian cucumbers (300 g total), ends trimmed and cut into thin half-moons
• 4 to 6 radishes (100 g total), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons BLACKLAND Original Chili Crisp, divided
• Up to 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, only if needed

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment rated for that temperature. Knead the sealed rice pouches gently to loosen the grains, then open them. Spread the fully cooked rice on the sheet, break up large lumps, and toss with the tablespoon of neutral oil. Make a thin, mostly even layer, leaving a few small clusters for crunch. Do not add the chili crisp yet.
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the rice with a spatula halfway through, until golden at the edges with crisp clusters and hot throughout. Check from 20 minutes so isolated grains do not burn; the goal is a mix of crunchy edges and tender centers, not uniformly hard grains. The reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C). Timing varies with the rice's moisture and oven.
3. While the rice bakes, bring the 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the frozen edamame and cook according to its package, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until tender and thoroughly heated. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and drain very well. Keep chilled with the prepared cucumber and radish until assembly. Pat wet vegetables dry so they do not soften the rice immediately.
4. Stir the chili crisp in its jar so the oil and solids are evenly distributed. Whisk 2 tablespoons with the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon crisp for the finish.
5. Let the rice stand just until it stops releasing strong steam, about 2 minutes; it should still be warm. Combine the cool cucumber, radish, edamame, scallions, and mint in a wide bowl and toss with the dressing. Taste a vegetable and add some or all of the measured salt only if needed. Fold in half the warm rice, scatter the rest over the top, and distribute the reserved tablespoon chili crisp over the salad. Serve immediately for the strongest contrast of textures.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve as four generous sides alongside separately prepared grilled chicken, fish, or tofu.
• For a lighter lunch, divide into three larger portions; added accompaniments are outside the stated yield and timing.
• Bring the undressed vegetables, dressing, and freshly crisped rice to the table separately if serving gradually, then combine individual portions.

Optional Variations

• Use 500 g home-cooked jasmine rice instead of the pouches. Cool it promptly in shallow portions, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below for no more than 24 hours before crisping. Its initial cooking and cooling add time beyond the listed 45 minutes; do not leave it on the counter to dry.
• Replace the 100 g radishes with 100 g finely sliced red cabbage for a milder crunch; keep the other quantities unchanged.
• Replace the teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon maple syrup if preferred. Check packaged ingredients before making any dietary claim.

Storage & Make-Ahead

For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the vegetables and cooked edamame separately from the dressing for up to 2 days at 40°F (4°C) or below, then crisp the rice at serving time. Keep rice pouches unopened according to their label until needed. Home-cooked rice should be used within 24 hours of its original cooking.

The assembled salad quickly loses crunch. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly, ideally within 1 hour, and eat cold within 24 hours. Do not reheat the already-crisped rice again; baking it was its reheating step. Discard perishable food left out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).

Contains soy from edamame and soy sauce, and typically wheat from standard soy sauce. Honey is included. Check the cooked-rice, soy-sauce, edamame, and chili-crisp labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact information. No gluten-free, vegan, nutritional, or health claim is made.

Original Chili Crisp provides the dressing's oil and savory solids. Its 3 tablespoons are divided between dressing and finishing, keeping its aromatics out of the hot oven. The product is rated 2/5; the finished salad is estimated mild.

More from the BLACKLAND kitchen: Garlic Shallot Fried Rice or Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Original Chili Crisp.