Crunchy Salad Topper
If your salads feel a little 'meh,' this crunchy salad topper is the quickest fast, flavorful fix you’ll want to keep on repeat. It’s nutty, spicy, and deeply savory with a toasty snap that makes every bite instantly more exciting.
Best of all, it barely takes any time to make, and is vegan and gluten-free adaptable too. Plus, just like my homemade breadcrumbs, you can batch-make and store this for weeks.
The easiest way to jazz up any simple dish, in my opinion, is to add a nice textural contrast to it. And that's why, I like to have my Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and Air Fryer crispy noodles handy.
I also recently tried making Gomasio- a crunchy seasoned salt that's perfect for sprinkling, and that's actually what inspired me to try this crunchy salad topper too.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 8.
- 📋Main ingredients: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, soy sauce, flaxseeds, watermelon seeds, seasonings, oil.
- ♨️Cooking method: Slice almonds 🡢 combine with seeds and seasonings 🡢 add oil and soy sauce 🡢 mix well 🡢 arrange on Air Fryer liner 🡢 air fry for 10-15 minutes.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 🥣Serving ideas: Sprinkle over simple salads (like my mango avocado salad), roasted vegetables and grain bowls.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- 15 minutes is all you need to make a batch of this crispy, crunchy and savory mix.
- You can customize the mix to your liking by choosing different seeds and nuts, or even playing around with the seasonings (like my homemade herb seasoning).
Recipe Ingredients
Mixed seeds: I used a mix of watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds here. Make sure you choose ones that are hulled and are the best quality.
Almonds: Raw, California almonds work best!
Seasonings: I used a mix of cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sometimes, I like using my lemon pepper spice mix or homemade Creole seasoning instead of cayenne.
Soy sauce: A little goes a long way for savory depth. Mix thoroughly so it coats lightly and doesn’t create wet patches that steam instead of crisp.
Oil: Any neutral flavored cooking oil works well. Use habanero infused oil if you want the salad topper to have a spicy kick.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- In addition to almonds, you can try using other nuts like cashews, walnuts and pecans too.
- Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos to make this crunchy seed mix gluten free.
- Instead of cayenne, try smoked paprika for a milder heat and a smoky, barbecue-like vibe. You can also keep it simple and just use a seasoned salt like citrus salt, celery salt or garlic parsley salt.
How to Make Crunchy Salad Topper
Step 1: Thinly slice the almonds using a sharp knife.
Step 2: Add to a mixing bowl with the other seeds and seasonings.
Step 3: Pour in the oil.
Step 4: Mix well to coat all the seeds and almonds.
Step 5: Arrange on an Air Fryer liner in a single layer.
Step 6: Air fry for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
💭Top Tip
Don't wait for the seeds to become dark brown in the Air Fryer. Get them out once they're lightly golden- they will continue to cook and crisp as they cool down.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Arrange the salad topper mixture in a single layer on the Air Fryer liner. Work in batches if necessary, but if you dump too many of them together, they'll trap moisture and won't turn out as crispy.
- Shake the basket or stir the seed mixture a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
- Don't overbrown the seeds- they'll end up burning and will turn bitter. If your Air Fryer runs hot, start checking at 8–10 minutes. I realized this when I made my Air Fryer tortilla strips too.
- Allow the salad topper to cool completely on the liner or a plate before storing.
How to Use Crunchy Salad Topper
Sprinkle this crunchy topper on your favorite salad generously right before serving. I personally love teaming it up with my Asian chicken carrot salad and chickpea egg salad.
But that's not all. You can enjoy this as a crunchy snack on its own, or even sprinkle it on your soups, grain and rice bowls. I've used it over my honey Sriracha shrimp rice bowl too.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
To ensure that the salad topper is crisp, allow it to cool down completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week, if not longer.
If your salad topper has lost its crunchiness, you can pop it back in your Air Fryer for a few minutes to get them crunchy again.
More Essentials to Make and Store
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this crunchy salad topper or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Crunchy Salad Topper
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup watermelon seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup flaxseeds
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Thinly slice the almonds using a sharp knife.
- Add to a mixing bowl with the other seeds and seasonings.
- Pour in the oil.
- Mix well to coat all the seeds and almonds.
- Arrange on an Air Fryer liner in a single layer.
- Air fry for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
Notes
- Arrange the salad topper mixture in a single layer on the Air Fryer liner. Work in batches if necessary, but if you dump too many of them together, they'll trap moisture and won't turn out as crispy.
- Shake the basket or stir the seed mixture a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
- Don't overbrown the seeds- they'll end up burning and will turn bitter. If your Air Fryer runs hot, start checking at 8–10 minutes.
- Allow the salad topper to cool completely on the liner or a plate before storing.