Toasted Rice & Cucumber Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette (over Avocado)
When you toast lightly seasoned jasmine rice or riced cauliflower they develop an intensely nutty flavor and fragrance—like popcorn! Imagine that amidst crisp cucumber and creamy avocado dressed in a light, kicky lime-ginger-cumin vinaigrette. Can you taste it?
A light, flavorful salad with a surprising toasty crunch from oven-roasted jasmine or cauliflower rice.
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 c. cooked white jasmine rice or riced cauliflower (fresh, not frozen) (see TIP A)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 4 Persian cucumbers or 1 medium English cucumber, finely diced
- 1 Fresno or medium-heat red chile pepper, very thinly sliced (consider using a mandoline)
- 1 c. fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 moderately firm avocados (not too ripe), cut into wedges or slices
- juice of 1/2 lime
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. agave or maple syrup
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp.)
- 3/4 in. piece of fresh peeled ginger, minced or grated (about 1 tbsp.)
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
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Set your oven to 450°. Put a large, rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven and bring the oven and sheetpan up to temperature together. Meanwhile, combine the grated garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl to create a slurry. Add the cooked jasmine rice or riced cauliflower, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (reserve remaining salt), and black pepper. Toss with your hands to fully coat the rice or cauliflower in the slurry. Set aside until ready to toast.
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Once the oven has reached 450°, pull the sheetpan from the oven and work quickly to evenly distribute the slurry-coated rice or cauliflower across the pan in an even layer. Return the sheetpan to the bottom rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of the rice or cauliflower turns golden and crisp. Flip or stir the rice after about 8 minutes or as needed (the bits near the edges of the pan may brown more quickly than those in the middle).
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Meanwhile, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients (lime zest and juice through black pepper) in a large bowl. You may use the same bowl that you used to coat the rice or cauliflower if desired.
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Add the diced cucumber and thinly sliced red chile to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Gently stir to coat and set aside until the rice or cauliflower is toasted and ready to add.
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Arrange the sliced avocados down the center or around the perimeter of a large serving platter. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the avocado slices.
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Once the rice or cauliflower is good and toasty, let it cool on the pan briefly (about 10 minutes). Then transfer it to the bowl with the vinaigrette and diced cucumbers. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt if needed. Finally, add the cilantro, gently toss, and spoon the salad over the avocado slices leaving some of the avocado visible. Serve immediately and enjoy!
TIP A: In order to prepare the cooked jasmine rice for this recipe, combine 1 cup thoroughly rinsed rice with 1.5 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat beneath the pan completely and let the rice sit covered for an additional 10 minutes. Then fluff the rice and let it cool for 10-20 minutes before preparing to toast it. If desired, you may complete this step up to 1 day in advance and store the rice in an air-tight container in the fridge.
If you'd rather use riced cauliflower for this recipe, then break a fresh head of cauliflower into small pieces and pulse them in a food processor until rice-size. Do not use frozen riced cauliflower as it will be too watery to toast in the oven.