Shredded Asian Vegetable and Brown Rice Salad
Carrot | Miso | Sesame Dressing
Serves 2
You can pretty much use any vegetables for this so go off piste a bit, have a little fridge raid, it is the dressing that makes this salad so special. I used rice for this particular recipe but I also recommend using vermicelli noodles, just follow the instructions on the back of the packet. It is much quicker and lighter. But for now here is the recipe with brown rice which is super tasty, packed with texture and flavour.
200g brown rice
500ml vegetable stock
2 leaves Napa cabbage (or Chinese cabbage)
Handful mangetoute
1 spring onion
Handful fresh coriander
Half a cucumber
1 carrot
Handful red radish
Handful cooked edamame
Handful beansprouts
Dressing
1 medium carrot
1 spring onion
Thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled
1 clove of garlic, peeled
3 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp miso
1 tbsp local, runny honey *
Fresh lime
To serve
Handful peanuts
1 tbsp toasted mixed sesame seeds
Fresh lime
Chilli (optional)
Rinse the rice a few times under tap water, add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer until cooked. Leave to cool a bit while you prepare the salad.
Layer the cabbage one on top of the other and roll into a cylinder, finely chop (or chiffonade), thinly slice the mange tout lengthways, slice the spring onion into thin rounds and roughly chop the coriander reserving the stalks for another recipe (here). Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cucumber into ribbons, do the same with the carrot. Half the radishes, keeping them chunky. Reserve the vegetables to one side.
To prepare the dressing, place everything in a high speed blender or Nutri-Bullet and blitz until smooth, taste and adjust to your preference. It should be thick, silky and creamy.
To serve, place a spoonful of rice in a deep bowl and layer the different vegetables on top. Blitz the peanuts until coarse in your blender or Nutri-Bullet, scatter on top. Finish with the sesame seeds, a wedge of lime and some chilli. Spoon over the dressing and enjoy.
*honey isn’t strictly vegan, this is totally up to you and how you feel about consuming it. I use locally sourced honey from resident little busy bees and small suppliers. Substitute with a natural sweeter such as maple syrup or agave.