I’ve been on a real salad kick lately, it seems, and this Cantaloupe & Sweet Pepper Salad with Puffed Rice has absolutely and completely run away with my heart. We’re talking drippy, sweet summertime melon, cut into bite-sized chunks, mingling with thinly sliced sweet peppers that have been quickly sautéed to soften them. A sprinkling of funky, salty feta and a schmear of thick Greek yogurt add depth and creaminess, while the unexpected crunch – and I mean, CRUNCH – of the puffed rice is just so delicious.
Also? We’ll just make the dressing right on the salad itself – no extra glassware or dishes needed. We’ll squeeze a lime over top of the salad and drizzle on some honey. A little salt, a little pepper. Boom! Dressed.
I think y’all are going to really enjoy this one.
There is something so satisfying about a fresh, somewhat different combination of seasonal goodies on a plate together that I just can’t get enough of. And, what’s more, there’s nary a leaf of lettuce in sight. Now don’t get me wrong – I love a crunchy, lettuce-filled salad with the best of them (see my Pizza Night Salad from two posts back), but finding interesting ways to build a salad without leaning on a big pile of greens is also a really great thing, too.
KITCHEN LITTLE ESSENTIALS
To make this Cantaloupe & Sweet Pepper Salad with Puffed Rice, you will need:
A deep-sided pot (to puff the rice and sauté the peppers)
A chef’s knife (to cut the melon)
What is Puffed Rice?
Puffed rice comes in a few different forms, and is prepared in a couple of different ways (different methods). It is basically exactly what it sounds like: rice that has been cooked in a way that expands its shape, and increases its volume.
Sometimes this is done by taking cooked rice and frying it. And other times, as is the case with our salad recipe today, the rice is fried in its uncooked state.
How to Make this Puffed Rice
I almost didn’t believe that the rice was gong to be done (i.e. edible) when I made this the first time. But alas, it was and it was delightful. Deeply toasty and wonderfully crunchy, this puffed rice (I use brown) tastes like a salty, grown-up version of Golden Crisp cereal (do you remember this?).
Anyway, to make it, all you do is fry some uncooked rice in hot oil until deep golden brown and then drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. I sprinkle mine with a little salt – and that’s it. PUFFED RICE!
But wait, the rice isn’t all that puffy – is that okay?
The resulting rice will no longer be raw but in fact, wonderfully fried, toasty, crunchy, and perfect as a salad topper. It won’t be actually all that puffed, so don’t worry if the rice doesn’t really look like it’s changed in size. That’s okay. If you were to fry cooked rice, however, then you’d see it swell and puff.
But in this case, we’re going for crunch not puff.
If you like the looks of this Cantaloupe & Sweet Pepper Salad with Puffed Rice, you might want to try:
Roasted Peach & Shishito Salad with Summer Sausage & Granola
Peaches and Cream Salad with Spicy Pepperoni
Cantaloupe & Sweet Pepper Salad with Puffed Rice
This, to me, is a great sharing salad (that’s what I’ve started calling them), and it’s beautiful served piled up on a big platter or plate, but you can absolutely divide it among four smaller plates. Up to you!
Ingredients
¾ cup brown basmati rice (you can use any kind of rice, this is just what I like)
Neutral flavored cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola
5 or 6 small sweet peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
4 cups of bite-sized cantaloupe chunks (1 large peeled melon)
½ to ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lime
2 TBSP honey
Crunchy sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by making the puffed rice: Set a large, deep-sized pot over med-high heat and add just enough oil to the bottom. When the oil shimmers, add a couple grains of the rice to see if it’s hot. If it bubbles, it’s ready. Add the rest of the rice, being careful because it will sputter. Stirring gently, allow the rice to brown and fry until deeply golden; about 2 to 2.5 minutes (it goes quick!).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned, cooked rice to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool. Season lightly with salt, if desired.
- Drain the pot, leaving a couple teaspoons of oil for the peppers. Return it to the stovetop and reduce the heat to medium. Saute the peppers until tender, stirring occasionally; about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
- To build the salad, schmear the yogurt across the bottom of a plate or platter. Pile the cantaloupe on top, followed by the peppers. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and puffed rice. Cut the lime in half and squeeze it over the top, allowing the juice to run all over the salad ingredients (you can use as much or little as you like). Drizzle with the honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
