Japanese-Style Rice Salad

Japanese-Style Rice Salad
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of rice
Rating
4(321)
Comments
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Whether it’s tender and tasty short-grain, astonishingly fragrant basmati or superchewy red, brown and black varieties, rice is one salad ingredient that does not deteriorate when dressed. It absorbs and thrives on the addition of liquids.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 serving
  • 1½ to 2cups short-grain brown or white rice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½cup chopped scallion
  • 1small or ½ large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
  • ¼cup finely chopped or shredded celery
  • ¼cup finely chopped or shredded carrot
  • 1cup firm tofu, preferably baked, optional
  • 6tablespoons miso paste
  • ¾cup warm water or sake
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • 1tablespoon mirin or honey
  • 1tablespoon rice vinegar, or more to taste
  • 2sheets of nori, lightly toasted
  • 2tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, toasted
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

338 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 652 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook rice in abundant salted water, as you would pasta, until it’s just done; white rice will take 10 to 15 minutes, brown 30 or a little longer. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, then combine with vegetables and tofu in a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Put black pepper, miso, water or sake, sugar, mirin or honey, and vinegar in a small bowl, and whisk together. Taste, and add more vinegar and a pinch of salt, if needed.

  3. Step 3

    Combine rice mixture with miso dressing with 2 big forks, fluffing rice and tossing gently to separate grains.

  4. Step 4

    Crumble nori over salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds, taste, and adjust seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing salad back to room temperature before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
321 user ratings
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Comments

I just made this, and it's GREAT! I used a lot more veggies than the recipe suggested; and as I had no mirin, I used the honey. I made this with brown basmati rice and a splash of sesame oil. it is just wonderful! It is now a "keeper"! Thanks!

We liked this very much. I used short-grain brown rice. I had my doubts that "cooking it like pasta" would work, but it did and it took only 30 minutes, much less time than steaming. So, just finding that out was a treat. I used a small cucumber instead of celery and used mirin instead of honey, which I think helps the flavor. I didn't use nori, because I was too lazy to toast it, and didn't bother to "bake" the tofu (not that I knew how to do that). A lovely, cooling lunch. Thanks, Mark!

This is my kind of dish-- anything with miso in it. I wonder about trying it with black rice and smoked tofu. (I buy the tofu at Whole Foods.)

Soupy and oddly, both bland and overflavored at the same time. My family stopped eating and had me order dinner from Panera.

Because I did not have any sake on hand I made this with water, which I don’t think I would do again as it came out rather flat. The sake apparently adds an essential flavor.

Added more vinegar, more sugar, less water. Very good.

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