Easy and Refreshing California Roll Salad (Print version)
A cool California roll salad with cucumber, avocado, crab, seasoned rice, nori, sesame, and a creamy soy-sesame dressing.
# Ingredients:
For the salad
01 -
2 cups (360 g) cooked short-grain rice, cooled
02 -
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
03 -
1 teaspoon sugar
04 -
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
05 -
8 oz (225 g) imitation crab, shredded
06 -
1 large English cucumber, diced or sliced into half-moons
07 -
1 large ripe avocado, diced
08 -
2 green onions, thinly sliced
09 -
2 sheets toasted nori, torn or sliced into strips
10 -
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
11 -
2 tablespoons pickled ginger, optional
For the dressing
12 -
1/3 cup (75 g) mayonnaise
13 -
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
14 -
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
15 -
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
16 -
1-2 teaspoons sriracha, to taste
17 -
1 teaspoon water, if needed to thin
# Instructions:
01 -
Stir the cooled rice with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until lightly seasoned. Let it sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
02 -
Whisk mayonnaise, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha in a small bowl until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon water if the dressing is too thick to drizzle.
03 -
Add the crab, cucumber, green onions, half the nori, and the seasoned rice to a wide mixing bowl.
04 -
Add about three quarters of the dressing and fold gently with a spatula until everything is lightly coated. Add more dressing only if needed.
05 -
Fold in the avocado last. Top with sesame seeds, remaining nori, and pickled ginger. Serve right away or chill for 10 minutes before serving.
# Good to know:
01 -
Use cold or room-temperature rice, never hot rice.
02 -
Best eaten the day it is mixed.
03 -
For a gluten-free version, use tamari and gluten-free imitation crab.