The pot of rice I made the night before was already cold, and the clock was not my friend. I had maybe thirty minutes before the house got loud, so I did what I always do with leftover rice: I made it crispy.
Soy-baked rice, golden roasted tofu, crunchy vegetables, and a spoonful of Thai peanut sauce. It is a little salty, a little spicy, and perfectly crunchy. Real time: about an hour. Hands-on: about 20 minutes. The oven does most of the work.
Why this one is on repeat
I keep coming back to the texture. Crispy rice, caramelized tofu, raw vegetables, and a creamy peanut dressing all in one forkful. And day-old rice is actually the point — it dries out just enough to crisp in the oven instead of steaming into a mush. If you ever make more rice than you need, consider it a gift.
There is also a lot of balance going on: the lime-like brightness of the fresh vegetables, the deep savory note of soy, and the sweet-spicy pull of the peanut sauce. I have made this on repeat because it is one of the few salads where everything actually earns its place on the plate.
Ingredients (with honest swaps)
Precise measurements are in the recipe card below. This is the shopping list version.
Crispy tofu
- Extra-firm tofu — pressed well and patted dry. Skip it if you want, but it turns the bowl into a proper meal.
- Olive oil — avocado oil or refined coconut oil work too.
- Cornstarch — the secret behind the oven crisp.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, fine sea salt, and black pepper.
Crispy rice
- 1 cup cooked jasmine rice, cold and preferably day-old.
- Sesame oil — toasted gives a stronger flavor; untoasted is milder.
- Light soy sauce — dark soy works if that is what you have.
- Chili flakes — leave them out if heat is not your thing.
- Garlic powder — milder and a little sweeter than fresh garlic, and no need to mince at 6 p.m.
The salad
- Coleslaw mix with carrots — or add your own shredded carrots to a plain bag.
- Thinly sliced cucumber and red bell pepper.
- Chopped fresh cilantro and sliced green onions.
- Roughly chopped roasted peanuts.
- Thai peanut sauce — homemade or straight from the bottle. No judgment.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. That is the whole setup.
Make the tofu
- Grate the pressed tofu with the large holes of a box grater.
- Stir in the olive oil, cornstarch, and seasonings until it is coated.
- Spread it in an even layer on one sheet. Break up any clumps.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until deep golden and crisp at the edges.
Make the rice
- Break up any clumps of cold rice in a bowl.
- Mix in the sesame oil, soy sauce, chili flakes, and garlic powder.
- Spread it in a thin, even layer on the second sheet.
- Bake alongside the tofu for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until crispy and golden in spots. Watch the last few minutes — the edges brown fast.
Assemble
- In a big bowl, toss the coleslaw mix, cucumber, red bell pepper, cilantro, green onions, and peanuts.
- Add the crispy tofu and rice.
- Drizzle in the Thai peanut sauce and toss gently until everything is coated.
- Serve immediately, while everything is still crisp.
Notes that actually help
- Press the tofu. I mean it — unpressed tofu roasts into steam, not crisp.
- Day-old rice is the move. It dries out and crisps instead of turning to glue.
- Spread everything out. A crowded sheet steams; a thin layer crisps.
- Serve it right away. This salad is at its best in the first five minutes.
Make it yours
Swap the tofu for edamame, tempeh, or nothing at all — the bowl still works. If peanut sauce is not your thing, any Asian-inspired dressing you love belongs here instead. I also like a shower of toasted sesame seeds on top, or an avocado sliced in for a little creaminess. The structure holds up to a lot of opinion.
Leftovers
Store the rice, tofu, and vegetables in separate airtight containers, and keep the peanuts and sauce off until you are ready to eat. Everything keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge, though it will lose some crunch. To reheat, spread the rice and tofu on separate sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes, then build the bowl the same way and dress it. I would not freeze it — nothing in this dish thaws well. If you already assembled it, fine, store it all in one container and eat the leftovers cold.
Happy cooking,
Maya