This salad was inspired by Persian jeweled rice — that stunning celebration dish studded with pomegranate, pistachios, and dried fruit. I wanted those same jeweled flavors, but lighter and fresher, so I turned it into a salad. The crispy roasted rice is my nod to tahdig, the golden crust everyone fights over, scattered throughout instead of hiding at the bottom of the pot. It makes the perfect Purim appetizer — a little taste of Persia in salad form, festive, colorful, and full of crunch.
Jeweled Crispy Rice Salad
2 cups leftover cold rice
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Salad:
5 oz spring mix
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
1/3 cup barberries (may use dried cranberries)
prepared crispy rice
Dressing:
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil)
1/4 cup apricot jam
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To prepare the crispy rice, spread the rice out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Mix with turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and salt and bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and crispy.
Assemble the salad: layer the greens, carrots, rice, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and barberries. Drizzle with dressing (I don’t use all of it, I prefer my salads not overdressed) and stir to coat.