Crispy Rice Kale Edamame Salad with Sesame Miso Carrot Dressing

This delicious Asian-Inspired Crispy Rice Kale Edamame Salad combines a mixture of vibrant chopped kale, crisp green and red cabbage, crunchy carrots & cucumber, shelled edamame, and sliced green onion with oven baked crispy rice tossed in a fragrant homemade sesame miso carrot dressing for the BEST salad bursting with flavor!

I’ve been seeing a lot of crispy rice salad recipes trending lately on social media, so naturally the wheels started turning and I came up with this amazingly vibrant and tasty salad! 🤩 This Crispy Rice Kale Edamame Salad is similar to my Thai Chopped Salad but has a whole different Asian flavor profile, so if you like that salad, I think you’ll love this one too!

Adding crispy baked rice in a salad adds the perfect crunch and flavor combined with the kale and cabbage while also making it hardy enough to enjoy this salad as a full meal.

Ingredients

Kale. I bought pre-chopped curly kale leaves and then chopped it into even smaller pieces. You’ll need 3 cups- it will shrink down because you’re going to massage it with sesame oil and a little salt to make it more palatable and easier to digest.

Coleslaw mix. I purchased a red and green cabbage coleslaw mix with shredded carrots. I love the vibrant color the purple cabbage brings to this salad. If you can’t find a coleslaw mix, you can shred your own cabbage and purchase shredded carrots. I have a helpful blog post on how to cut cabbage.

Edamame. You’ll want to purchase frozen, shelled edamame located in the frozen vegetable section at the grocery store.

Cucumber. I like to buy mini cucumbers and cut them into quarters, skin on (yay, no peeling!). You’ll need 2 mini cucumbers, or enough regular chopped cucumber to equal 1 cup.

Green onion. You’ll need 1/4 cup of sliced green onions, it’s approximately 4 green onions. If you’d rather just garnish the salad with green onions at the end instead you may do so, and will obviously need less green onions.

Rice. I used basmati rice for this recipe. You can use whatever rice you have on hand. You’ll need 1 cup of dry rice cooked via stovetop per package directions and then you’re going to toss it in some of the yummy sesame miso carrot dressing and sesame oil and bake it in the oven for 30-35 minutes until crispy!

Homemade Sesame Miso Carrot Dressing

This homemade dressing is easy to make and is the perfect Asian-inspired flavor to pair with the salad ingredients and crispy rice. Here’s what you’ll need:

Miso paste. You can use any miso paste you’d like, I recommend a light colored miso paste that is milder in flavor as opposed to a red miso paste. Make sure your miso paste is gluten-free!

Tahini. Tahini not only adds some sesame flavor but also thickens up this dressing a bit.

Carrots. I used 1/4 cup of shredded carrots, as they blend up easier, but you can finely chop a full size carrot and measure out 1/4 cup.

Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar adds the perfect amount of zing to this dressing. You’ll need 1 tablespoon.

Lemon juice. I thought about omitting the lemon juice since we have the apple cider vinegar already, but when I tasted the dressing without the lemon juice, I didn’t like it as much. You’ll need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I used pure, pre-bottled lemon juice but you may also use fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Sesame oil. Sesame oil helps add volume to the dressing but also enhances the sesame flavor. You’ll need 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.

Ginger. I used dried ground ginger but you can use fresh ginger or ginger paste instead if you’d like, though I don’t have the exact measurements for fresh ginger or ginger paste if you decide to go that route.

Maple syrup. Maple syrup adds just the perfect touch of sweetness to balance the salty-tangy flavors. I added 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Water. Water is used to thin the dressing. I found 2-3 tablespoons was the best, but it may depend on the consistency of your miso paste as well as tahini, so add 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired dressing consistency.

Make the dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth (alternatively you may whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl), adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time to thin the dressing as desired. I used 3 tablespoons of water.

How To Make Crispy Rice

Cook the rice via stovetop according to package directions. Move the rice to a medium-large bowl and let the rice cool. While the rice is cooling make the dressing. Toss the rice with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 3 tablespoons of the dressing.

Spread the rice onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and then bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through making sure it doesn’t burn (especially around the edges).

Making The Salad

Add the chopped kale to a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the kale with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt until the leaves are soft and they are a deep, dark green. This helps to soften the leaves making the kale more palatable and easier to digest. Cut the cucumber into small chunks, and slice the green onion. Cook the frozen edamame in the microwave or via stovetop according to package directions. Next add in the coleslaw mix, chopped cucumber, sliced green onion and drained edamame to the bowl with the kale. Toss to combine.

When the rice is done, you can either toss it right into the salad or you can serve the salad with the rice on top. Garnish with sliced almonds and sesame seeds if desired. Serve the dressing on the side.

Optional Add-In

Tofu. When I made this salad for my family and I for dinner, I was afraid it wasn’t going to be enough so I made some crispy tofu to add on top. It was delicious with the tofu! But honestly, the salad would have been plenty on its own, and you do get some plant-based protein from the edamame.

Storage

This Crispy Rice Kale Edamame Salad is best enjoyed right away, but if you have leftover salad you may store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I suggest storing the crispy rice and salad separately, so you can warm/re-crisp the rice before serving. I also suggest serving the dressing on the side, so the salad doesn’t get soggy.

Let me know what you think about this Crispy Rice Kale Edamame Salad with Sesame Miso Carrot Dressing down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover a delicious, flavorful Asian-inspired salad recipe. Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make it!

Other Asian-Inspired Salad Recipes To Try

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