Yotam's Sprouts Salad, Part Two

Most often I find myself planning meals around the vegetables that I have just purchased or plucked from our home garden. A few years ago it was all about the protein. Not making a big deal about this same subject has also served me well. When we are all together as a family I try to serve several different sides and small plates. Learning about other cuisines has been life changing for us as well.

Just received a copy of Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, "Plenty More" and have not looked back. It is reading books like this that you discover different ingredients and spices and the best ways to prepare them. The book is organized into chapters of similar cooking techniques like tossed, steamed, blanched, fried etc. The photography is beautiful and many recipes come with a short story.

The first recipe I chose was this “sprout salad, part two” that is a revised version of another sprout salad. The salad has a light crunch and is bursting with flavor. There is no leafy greens involved, just veggies, avocados, sprouts and nuts. The dressing is the biggest surprise with pickled plum puree as the base.

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons sliced roasted almonds
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 large bunch radishes (sliced thinly)
1 small kohlrabi (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 medium carrot (peeled and cut into thin matchsticks)
1 1/4 cups mung bean sprouts
2 avocados (peeled, pitted and cut into small cubes)
1 cup cilantro leaves (chopped)

Dressing:

1 1/2 teaspoon umeboshi puree (pickled plums)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low salt soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 small shallot (minced)
3 tablespoons canola oil

To prepare:

Start by preparing dressing, in a food processor add all ingredients. Pulse until well mixed.

Next, in a medium saucepan of water, bring to a boil, add edamame, bring back to a boil. Immediately remove from heat, drain and then refresh with cold water. Shake well to dry, then add to a large serving bowl. Add radishes, kohlrabi, carrot, sprouts, avocados, cilantro, sunflower seeds and almonds to the edamame. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix to combine and serve.

This recipe has been slightly adapted from "Plenty More", by Yotam Ottolenghi.