Sushi salad
I haven’t been to my favorite Japanese restaurant in Seattle in awhile. And I miss it. They have this yuzu ginger tea that’s beyond refreshing. The first time we ate there, Jonathan took a sip of what must have been his third cupful and looked at me with wide, astonished eyes. “How is this still as flavorful as the first cup?!” He hadn’t realized that the tea was bottomless, so he thought they were refilling his cup with water while somehow avoiding dilution. Now, memories of the place always feel infused with magic. And laughter. I suppose laughter is magic.
I ran across Hetty McKinnon’s vegetarian sushi salad recipe recently and knew it was just the thing to stave off my cravings for Sushi Kappo Tamura. At least until it’s safe to visit.
The salad’s delicious as-is, but I wanted to up the acidity. So I added rice vinegar and lemon juice. If I’d had yuzu on hand, I would’ve added that in place of the lemon because Samin Nosrat suggests sticking with acids traditional to the cuisine. But lemon really works here. It adds that zing that makes me want to keep “testing” bite after bite before dinner’s on the table. You know... to make sure it’s not poisonous.
I made this once, and I immediately made plans to make it again. I hope you like it, too. And if you happen to try it with yuzu, will you let me know how it goes? Even if you don’t try it with yuzu, I’d love to hear what you think.
Servings: 4 Time: 45 minutes Via: Adapted from Hetty McKinnon
If you like tart flavors, quick pickling the cucumber would be great here. Just put the sliced cucumber in a bowl, add 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir. Let rest while you prepare everything else.
Adding some crumbled rice crackers on top of the salad just before serving would be a nice addition, too.
Salad
4 small Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), sliced
2 avocados, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 cups frozen edamame beans, shelled
2 cups tender greens (e.g., baby spinach, spring greens), packed
4 cups leftover brown rice
4 roasted nori seaweed sheets, cut into strips
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Dressing
6 tablespoons miso paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Juice of 1 small-ish lemon (or sub yuzu if you can find it)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
Prep the salad. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds. (If you decide to quick pickle it, now’s the time.)
Cube the avocado. I do this by cutting the avocado in half, removing the pit, and using a butter knife to carve gridlines into the flesh. When I’m ready to add the avocado to the salad, I just scoop out the cubes with a spoon. This saves me the hassle of peeling.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until they turn golden brown. They burn quickly, though, so be ready to transfer them to a plate.
Cut the nori sheets into thin strips. I find that scissors are the best tool for the job.
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook for 2 minutes. The edamame should be tender but still have a little crunch. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. If your edamame weren’t shelled, you’ll need to shell them once cool.
Make the dressing. Combine everything (miso paste, toasted sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and sesame seeds) in a jar or small bowl. Whisk to combine.
Assemble and serve. Combine the cucumber, edamame, greens, and rice in a large bowl. Pour about 2/3rds of the dressing over the salad, mix together, and taste. Add more dressing if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the salad among four bowls. Top each bowl with avocado cubes, toasted sesame seeds, and nori strips.