Spiral Shredded Salad with Miso Dressing

 

I was going to make a chopped salad with a miso-ginger vinaigrette. I had a recipe to start from, but was planning to just use the idea, the approximate ratios, and the dressing, adding whatever vegetables I had available.

And then a friend went nuts with her spiralizer, seemingly experiencing such kitchen bliss that I felt shame that my spiralizer had spent the last two years sitting in its box, unused. Because there was the potential for something good to eat, shame became inspiration, and I took my spiralizer to whatever vegetables would tolerate it to make this salad. What I had on hand that worked was daikon radish and cucumber.

 

You wouldn’t need to use a spiralizer to make this dish. It just makes it more fun! You could simply shred your vegetables as I did the Napa cabbage or diagonal or matchstick slice them as I did the sugar snap peas. In the end, let’s be honest: you could chop your vegetables, too.

This dressing is zesty but mellowed by mild miso. I used white miso, but whatever you like will be fine. The ginger is sharp, but something needs to stand up to the radish I threw in the mix. I’m also convinced you could make the dressing with citrus juices instead of the rice vinegar, or add some garlic and chiles.

 

I’m glad I pay attention to my friends, because the end of my spiral procrastination was way too much fun to have missed. If you’re in the market for a spiralizer, you can get them almost anywhere and I, along with some wiser folks on the foodie internet, like my hand-cranked adjustable spiralizer. I know this all may be going out of fashion (at least I hope pretending spiralized zucchini is spaghetti is going out), but I’ve never been fashionable. Just hungry.

Spiral Shredded Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine (from long ago)

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage

1 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas

1 cup spiralized or shredded daikon radish

1 cup spiralized or shredded cucumber

¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons white or yellow miso

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, snap peas, radish, cucumber, and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, miso, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds.

3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to coat.

Makes 4-6 servings. The salad is still delicious after a day or two in the refrigerator, but it will get significantly watery.

Other recipes like this one: Cabbage and Chard Slaw with Orange-Tahini Dressing, Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Napa Cabbage Slaw with Asian Dressing, Radish and Carrot Slaw with Zesty Citrus Dressing

Napa Cabbage Slaw

 

It’s slaw season! We’ve moved through the delicate cool-weather greens with light dressings and now we’re on to crunchy vegetables, shredded or chopped, and coated in zesty dressings. This one and many variations on it, has been one of my favorites for years.

There are lots of ways to do what is often called an “Oriental” cabbage salad. The one my mom perfected has chicken, crushed ramen noodles, and a simple dressing. I never could make it as well as she did, so I stopped trying it and looked for others to make my own.

I used to make the original version of this salad, which was in Cooking Light magazine, every summer. I eventually learned what other good things I could do with the dressing, which was the inspiration for the dressing in this post. I also eventually learned that I could add and subtract from the slaw mixture, using what I could get at the farmer’s market. In the version I present to you here, I left out the crushed crunchy noodles and added sugar snap peas.

This recipe was originally written for napa cabbage, and that’s what I used this time. I was lucky enough to score a huge (huge!) leafy head of it at the local farmer’s market. Since it is so leafy, the salad will get a bit wilty as it becomes leftovers. If you’re worried about that (I’m really not), you could use crunchier European-style green cabbage instead.

You could also add in whatever vegetables you like or want to get out of the refrigerator before shopping for something new. Bok choi, radishes, green beans, broccoli, anything that you don’t mind spending some time chopping or shredding into slaw shape would be great. You could also substitute things like sesame seeds or finely chopped peanuts or cashews for the almonds and/or sunflower seeds.

Of course, if you really want those delicious, crunchy ramen noodles in the salad, soaking up that delicious sweet dressing, there’s plenty of room for them, too.

Napa Cabbage Slaw with Asian Flavors

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light, August 2000

This recipe makes a lot of slaw. You could halve it if you want less.

1/3 cup rice vinegar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup slivered almonds

8 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

2 large carrots, shredded

2 cups diagonally sliced sugar snap peas

1 cup thinly slice scallions

1. To make the dressing: combine the vinegar, sugar, Thai sweet chile sauce, tamari, canola oil, and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Whisk together. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

2. Combine the sunflower seeds and almonds in a small skillet. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the nuts and seeds are lightly browned, being careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the cooled dressing over the mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the toasted sunflower seeds and almonds over the top. If the salad stands a long time before serving, stir to redistribute the dressing that has pooled on the bottom of the bowl.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Cabbage and Chard Slaw with Orange-Tahini Dressing, Cabbage Slaw with Feta and Olives, Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing

One year ago: Radish and Edamame Stir Fry

Chicken Wraps with Slaw

 

This is a summery and refreshing wrap sandwich that I’ve made before, but it had been a while. I had plenty cabbage left over from a huge farmer’s market find, and I was looking for a tasty place to use it. I also had plenty (plenty!!) of mint from my own somewhat-controlled planting. The original recipe called for poblano chiles, which I love, but I happened to have a large green bell pepper, also from the farmer’s market, and plenty of jalapenos from my own garden. I figured that together, they’d make a suitable substitute for the poblano. After all, poblanos are kind of like skinny, spicy bell peppers. A mix of bell peppers and jalapenos ought to fool a simple wrap sandwich, ought it not?

 

This wrap is basically a layer of boldly flavored cabbage slaw topped with grilled chicken (or chicken cooked however you want to). The slaw is a bit intense to be served on its own as a side salad, but some chicken and a tortilla balance that intensity quite well. You could use some other protein if you want. I think this would be a good base for a fish taco if that’s how you prefer to roll.

 

The original recipe contained all lemon juice, but I thought some lime would be right at home. It did turn out to be a good flavor addition that goes well with the chile and mint, but I think that if you use what you have, whether it be lime juice, lemon juice, or even orange juice or a mild vinegar, you’re still going to have a great slaw for your wrap. The slaw is a bit juicy, so I’d recommend allowing the vegetables to stand in the dressing for a while to absorb the flavors, then draining a lot of that dressing when you place the slaw on the tortilla to avoid a sloppy sandwich.

 

This is a relatively simple dish to put together for all the flavor punch it gives. The leftovers are good, too. Just store the slaw and chicken separately and assemble the wraps when you get hungry. It also worked well to make a wrap with well-drained slaw, bundle it tightly in plastic wrap and carry it in a rigid container as part of a brown-bag lunch. Well, my lunch bag is pink, but you get the idea. And this idea has an open field of variations available, especially if you have an open field of great vegetables to choose from for your slaw.
 

Chicken Wraps with Spicy Citrus-Mint Slaw

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light, May 2003

I used grilled chicken breast to make my wraps, but you could use chicken cooked however you like or even a different protein.

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
½ cup chopped fresh mint
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and thinly sliced
about 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, seasoned and cooked as desired and cooled
flour tortillas 

1. Combine lemon juice, lime juice, ginger, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Add the cabbage, bell pepper, mint and jalapeno. Toss well to coat. Let stand for 20 minutes or so if you have the time, tossing occasionally.

3. Thinly slice the cooked chicken. To assemble the wraps, drain some of the slaw of dressing (to avoid sloppiness). Spread the slaw on a flour tortilla. Place a few chicken slices on top of the slaw layer and roll up.

Makes about 6 wraps with “burrito-size” tortillas. Store leftover chicken and slaw separately and assemble wraps as needed.

 

Other recipes like this one: Tacos with Sauteed Greens and Fresh Cheese, Radish and Carrot Slaw with Zesty Citrus Dressing

 
One year ago: Apricot and Raspberry Tart with Crumble Topping

Slaw with Orange Tahini Dressing

I wish I had an interesting story to go along with this recipe. It deserves one. The simple and perhaps unexciting truth is that I wanted to try the orange-tahini combination in the dressing for this great-looking salad. I figured that with spring really here, apparently to stay, I might not have much more time to dwell on oranges. Plus, the delicate baby lettuce mixtures available from local sources and growing in pots on my patio (that part of this story is actually pretty exciting) are soon going to leave me with no interest in cabbage…at least for a while.

I’m glad I hadn’t completely turned my back on such wintery foods as cabbage and oranges just yet because this salad was delicious. Cabbage can probably take on just about any style of dressing that you like, so I wasn’t all that surprised that this creamy orange-tahini one went well. I had also added some thinly-sliced chard to the slaw mix, however, and the dressing was great on that too. The texture of those chard ribbons also served to fluff up the salad a bit, keeping it from getting too dense under the rich, creamy dressing.

And so, wonderfully flavorful and substantial enough to be a light main dish, this salad is exciting enough to be its own story. Its origins are nothing new if you’re a slaw fan: shred or slice some vegetables, in this case cabbage, carrots, chard, scallions and parsley, and mix them with a creamy dressing. Things get a little more exotic and exciting when the tasting comes in: crunchy cabbage and tender chard, sweet carrots, a bit of onion, aromatic orange zest, and rich sesame paste emulsified with extra-virgin olive oil and sweet-tart orange juice. Delicious. Tossing together another bowl of this lovely stuff could go a long way toward helping me wait for my baby lettuces…for a little while, anyway.


Cabbage and Chard Slaw with Orange-Tahini Dressing
Inspired by this recipe at My New Roots

I like to use a Microplane grater to zest citrus fruits. Be sure to remove the zest before squeezing the oranges for juice. It’s much easier.

zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons tahini
½ small head cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 cup thinly sliced Swiss chard leaves
2 large carrots, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a small bowl, combine the orange zest, olive oil, salt, orange juice, water and tahini. Whisk together until thick and very smooth. Set aside.

2. Combine the cabbage, chard, carrots, scallions and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and stir well to combine and coat the vegetables with the dressing.

Makes 4-6 servings.


Other recipes like this one: Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Cabbage Slaw with Feta and Olives, Winter Squash and Chickpea Salad with Apricots and Tahini Dressing

One year ago: Warm Noodles with Cilantro and Coconut Lime Dressing