This Japanese-inspired cool, green salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple. Fresh greens and cucumber, soft tofu, slightly chewy red rice and edamame beans are tossed in a creamy miso-sesame dressing to create this healthy and delicious salad.
This salad is perfectly suited for lunch box. I recommend keeping the dressing and tofu in separate containers.
Silken tofu is very moist and custard-like. It does not hold its shape very well, so must be handled extremely carefully. I recommend draining silken tofu before adding to the salad. Take out tofu from the package and place on the kitchen towel, drain it for about hour or two. If you do not have a time for this step, just keep tofu separate and add to the salad right before serving.
You can find silken tofu on the shelf or in the refrigerator section of health food stores and many standard grocery stores.
Toasted sesame is one of the most popular flavors in Japan. I love that satisfying, nutty flavor. For toasted sesame seeds use a wide frying pan and stovetop. Heat the sesame seeds on medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the seeds when they slightly darken and become fragrant. It takes between 3 and 5 minutes.
Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three months.
Boiled or steamed edamame beans (green soybeans) are popular Japanese snack. Extremely rich in protein, saturated fats, amino acids and vitamins edamame beans in pairing with salmon can turn this salad into delicious and nutritious lunch or dinner.
White Miso Paste (Shiromiso). Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae) and sometimes rice, barley, or other ingredients. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup, a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining worldwide interest.
Typically, miso is salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.
White miso is made from soybeans that have been fermented with a large percentage of rice. The actual resulting color can range from white to light beige, and the miso has a definite sweet taste.
Have you tried already Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Tahini sauce from Crazy Cucumber Blog?
Ingredients
2 Serves
- 1 Cup of cooked brown or red rice (I use mix of brown and red)
- 1 Cup of cooked edamame beans (just put shelled frozen beans in steamer for 2 minutes)
- 1/2 Block Tofu, drained, cubed
- 1/2 telegraph cucumber, seeded, diced
- 1/2 bag of mixed green salad leaves (I use mesclun salad)
- 2 Cups steamed and diced broccoli – optional
For dressing:
- 1 heaped tablespoon White Miso (Miso Shiro)
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Teaspoon apple syrup (or Maple syrup)
- 2 Teaspoon Rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Teaspoon Dark sesame oil
To serve:
- Black and White Sesame seeds
Directions
- Take out silken tofu from the package and place on the kitchen towel, drain it for about hour or two. Then cut into cubes.
- For miso-tahini dressing. Combine all ingredients in the bowl and mix well using a whisk. If the mixture is too thick, slowly add more water until it reaches the preferred consistency.
- Put all ingredients except the tofu into a large salad bowl, drizzle the miso-tahini dressing and toss gently together. Transfer to serving bowls. Add tofu cubes, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with a small bowl of extra dressing.
