Gluten-Free Pickled Ginger Rice Salad

Have extra day old left over rice? Looking for an easy delicious gluten-free, dairy-free side dish? Pickled Ginger Rice Salad is a go-to side for me. I have been making it for years and every time I make it I am asked for the recipe. It’s extremely customizable. Bring it to a pot-luck, meal-prep it for your lunches, or turn it into a dinner with more fresh veggies and a grilled meat! I have to admit it’s even better the next day, so make a double batch.

Ingredient Tips:

 Feel free to double the vegetables in this recipe! Use mint or cilantro in the dressing, or both. It is very versatile and easy to customize. You could add in bell pepper, avocado, or throw some grilled meat on top. It’s your choice and what you like.

You can use leftover rice or make yours just for this recipe. Tip: rinse your rice in cold water before you cook it. Rinsing the rice takes off some of the starches and gives it a better final texture. I threw in some pieces of ginger in with my steaming rice to enhance that spicy flavor profile. I picked those ginger chunks out after the rice was done and used them in the dressing- no waste!

Pop by a local Asian foods store and see if you can find garlic chips or grab them from Amazon (my link here and below). They add that extra crunch and incredible flavor. You can make your own garlic chips by slicing them thin and shallow pan-frying them in oil. You’ll end up throwing these over everything!

For the pickled ginger, you can get it at the grocery store or make your own with fresh ginger! Sometimes the fresh ginger is tucked in the corner of the produce section, so ask an employee to help you find it. Here’s my pickled ginger recipe:

Quick Pickled Ginger

Yield: About 2 ounces. Make two batches for the rice salad.

1 three-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced very thin

1 red radish, sliced (or 1 slice red beet), optional for color

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a small jar and stir. Make sure the ginger is submerged. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Discard the radish or beet. The ginger may be refrigerated in a sealed jar or other glass container for up to 2 weeks.

My favorite products for this recipe:

• Organic Sushi Rice: Have you tried sushi rice before? It has a shorter grain than other rices, and great for that stick-together texture. This Lundberg Family Farms rice is organic, non-gmo, and grown with sustainable farming practices. It’s a win-win for you and the Earth!
  
• Fried Garlic: This is optional but a great flavor and crunchy additional to the pickled ginger rice salad (and many other dishes too!). You can often find this at Asian food markets but if you don’t have one near you, try this one! A little goes a long way.
• Black Sesame Seeds: Black sesame seeds add great contrasting color and crunch to your salad. Full of rich nutty flavor, sesame seeds are rich in omega 6 fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and protein. Terrasoul brand is certified organic, and pays their employees a decent wage. You can feel good about your nutrition and helping others with this huge bag of sesame seeds that will last a long time.

(Disclosure: I may receive a very small amount of revenue if you purchase through my Amazon links. It does NOT raise the cost for you, but does help me keep on creating recipes and videos on Jana Eats. Thanks!)

Rate this recipe and let me know what you put into your gluten-free pickled ginger rice salad!

Recipe and how-to YouTube video from my channel below.