No Tea After 12 // Savoy & Soba Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Savoy & Soba Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

posted in, Salads & Vegetarian on Friday, January 14, 2011

So, I'm well aware that it's January and I'm posting a salad. So not only am I seasonally challenged but, if you're anything like the rest of the human population you are detoxing and the last thing you want to see is another salad. But I'm banking on the fact that you might be trying to reduce the cheese belly that has ~~been piling itself around your middle for the last four months~~ suddenly appeared. I've already waxed lyrical here about how much I hate dieting and would rather gouge my own eyes out with a teaspoon than diet, but ya know what I'm also not a fan of buying clothes in a larger size just to wear them in January, February, and March...so look, I am eating this salad in January and you totally should too.

All that said, I'm not a very traditional "dieter", I am physically and mentally unable to count calories finding it tantamount to chinese water torture. So I tend to simply swap out the things I know are unhealthy (cheese, chocolate) for healthier options (cabbage, chalk). I don't really eat chalk, but I do find myself eating a lot of Asian-inspired dishes and boosting the health content by adding fresh and raw foods wherever I can. This recipe is the perfect example of that - not only is the dressing chock full of really good raw stuff, but the cabbage in the salad itself is also raw. I got the idea for this salad a few months ago after Mandi's sister Heather made us a version of it at a pre-Thanksgiving / birthday dinner we had in honour of Mandi's big 3-0. She's probably gonna kill me for posting her age here, but I'm older than her so that makes it ok. Anyway, the original recipe actually comes from the Vegetarian Times and Heather made a huge heaping bowl of the slaw-like salad, and everyone raved, including me.

But then of course me being me, it doesn't matter how good the salad is I am physically incapable of just eating a bowl of cabbage alone (no matter how good) for lunch or dinner...so I came up with this. Yes, technically soba is pasta, but comon' it's buckwheat man, throw me a bone.

Savoy & Soba Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Dressing adapted, barely from Vegetarian Times.

For the Carrot-Ginger Dressing:
1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
2, 1-inch pieces fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tablespoons white miso
1 Tablespoon toasted Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons grape seed oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 small shallot

For the Salad:
8oz / 200g soba noodles
1/2 cup / approx 150g savoy cabbage, julienned (just slice it really thin)
1/2 cup / approx 150g red cabbage, as above
1/2 large avocado sliced
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

To make the dressing: put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and whizz up until you have a smooth-ish consistency. It's nice to have a few visible pieces of carrot so refrain from whizzing into total oblivion. I have kept the original measurements for the dressing, so it does make about a cup in total, but it's so good you'll want to keep it for another salad or two, trust me.

To make the salad: First put the soba noodles on to cook - according to the directions on the package. Mine never take any more than 4-5 minutes on a rapid boil. When they are cooked, immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside while draining.

Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan, watch them carefully as like any nuts they catch quickly.

Slice the cabbage and avocado. At this point I take a quick look at the soba noodles and check that most of the water has drained off - if they still look quite wet then dab them with a paper towel to get off any excess moisture.

Now put the soba noodles and cabbage into a bowl, add about 2 Tablespoons of the dressing (less or more if you please), sprinkle over most of the toasted sesame seeds, saving a few for sprinkling at the end. Toss the salad with a pair of kitchen tongs being careful not to tear any of the noodles.

Serve the salad topped with the avocado, and the rest of the sesame seeds.

Makes 2 main dish portions, or 4 side portions.

Over to you....

Glad to see you back-in-the-saddle! The big 3-0 has not been bad at all…..probably because yes, you will always be a wee bit older. ;) Salad looks amazing! One glance at anything with avocado and in the words of Guy Fieri, “you could put that on a grilled flip-flop and I would eat it!” xxoo

Mmmmmmm, this looks so delicious! Great flavors, yum! :)

This salad is colorful and refreshing. With the addition of avocado makes it the winner.

Detoxing seems to be on everyone’s mind these days, and this is the way to do it! Although eating healthy isn’t really detoxing, it’s just enjoying food naturally. The perfect example is right , what tasty salad. i thinking toasting the sesame seeds puts it right over the top! Well done.

I’m ok with reading about salads. Down here in sunny Mexico we can eat them all year long. I love the dressing!

The dressing caught my attention, as I love how carrots add such wonderful sweetness to Asian-style ones. And who can resist soba noodles? You’re a good reminder that they can be enjoyed cold just as much as they can be slurped up with abandon when hot.

Thanks folks, glad this one’s a winner! :) And thanks for the feedback - it keeps me going with the healthy eating thing…galdang it’s hard! Tomorrow…channelling my inner Ottolenghi. Stay tuned.

yummmm, cant wait to see your rendition! That guy can throw together some f-l-a-v-o-r!