Kale Brown Rice Salad with Roasted Pumpkin & Japanese Onion Dressing
A hearty and healthy Kale Brown Rice Salad with roasted pumpkin, edamame, beetroot, and a savory Japanese-style onion dressing. Perfect for meal prep, vegetarian meals, or adding grilled chicken, salmon, or tofu.
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan for cooking brown rice
- 1 oven or airfryer for roasting pumpkin
- 1 box grater
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 small whisk
- 1 blender
Ingredients
Brown Rice
- 180 g medium-grain brown rice makes about 360 g cooked
- 1.8 L water
- 7 g salt
Roasted Pumpkin
- 700 g kabocha or jap pumpkin skin on wedges
- 20 g honey
- 15 g olive oil
- pinch salt
Japanese Onion Dressing
- 100 g onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 70 g soy sauce
- 70 g rice vinegar
- 70 g mild olive oil
- 16 g sugar
- 10 g lemon juice
- 40 g water
- 4 g salt
- 4 g white miso
Salad Base
- 120 g cooked brown rice
- 10 g kale stems removed and finely sliced
- 30 g edamame blanched
- 80 g beetroot peeled
- 10 g pumpkin seeds
- 50-60 g japanese onion dressing
Optional Garnish
- white sesame seeds
- fresh coriander
Instructions
Cook the brown rice
- Bring 1.8 L water and 7 g salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the brown rice and simmer gently for 28–30 minutes until tender but still holding shape. The grains should be cooked through with a soft interior but not mushy.
- Drain and steam off moisture
- Drain the rice immediately and spread it on a tray for 5–10 minutes to allow excess steam to escape. Do not rinse after draining. Let the rice cool to warm or room temperature before assembling the salad.
Roast the pumpkin
- Cut the kabocha or jap pumpkin into wedges (skin on). Toss with honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
- Air fryer: cook at 190°C for 16–18 minutes.
- Oven: roast at 200°C fan for 25–30 minutes.
- The pumpkin should have caramelised edges while the centre stays soft but holds its shape.
Toast the pumpkin seeds
- Spread pumpkin seeds on a tray and toast in the oven at 150°C for 10–15 minutes until lightly golden and nutty.
Make the Japanese onion dressing
- Blend the onion until fine. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, water, salt, and white miso until well combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing becomes lightly emulsified. Let the dressing rest for about 10 minutes before using. The finished dressing should be slightly thick from the onion pulp with a pourable consistency.
Prepare the vegetables
- Remove kale leaves from the stems and finely slice them. Soak the sliced kale in cold water for about 10 minutes to crisp the leaves. Drain well and spin or pat dry before using. Grate the beetroot coarsely using a box grater. Blanch the edamame if needed and cool.
Assemble the salad
- Place the kale in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked brown rice while it is still slightly warm. Pour in about 35–40 g of the dressing and toss gently 3–4 times to lightly coat.
- Add remaining ingredients
- Add roasted pumpkin, edamame, grated beetroot, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Drizzle a little more dressing if needed.
Finish and serve
- Top with sesame seeds and fresh coriander if desired. Serve immediately or keep components separate for meal prep and assemble before eating.
Notes
Rice Cooking Tip: The salt used in the rice water (7 g for 1.8 L water) is about 0.4%. This lightly seasons the rice while keeping the salad balanced and not salty.
Brown Rice Yield: This recipe cooks 180 g dry brown rice, which makes about 360 g cooked rice. The salad uses 120 g cooked rice per serving (3 servings total), so the entire batch is used. If your cooked yield varies slightly depending on the brand of rice, simply divide it evenly between the servings.
Kale Texture Tip: Soaking sliced kale in cold water for about 10 minutes helps refresh and crisp the leaves, improving the texture in raw salads.
Dressing Yield Tip: This recipe makes a little more Japanese onion dressing than the salad requires. Blending onion works best with a slightly larger volume, so the recipe uses about 100 g onion to ensure the blender runs smoothly. Any extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and used for salads, grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, or tofu.
Olive Oil Tip: Use a mild extra-virgin olive oil for the dressing. Strong or peppery olive oils can overpower the delicate onion flavor.
Meal Prep Tip: For meal prep, keep the dressing separate and assemble just before serving. The salad components can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 days.