I was recently at a brewery in Butte, MT where I was served some incredible pizza and laudable beer. I was also served a “Chinese crunch medley blah blah” salad that tasted like a butte. (Get it? I kill myself.)
Garbage cabbage, undoubtably laden with listeria. Dry, packaged, poor college student boxed ramen noodles crinkled on top, canned mandarins, next to infamous rubber, wet ‘chicken’ meat, sashaying incestuously together amidst the all to overt cashew nut.
Ew.
Underwhelmed with the greens, but taken with the suds, I began immediately channeling my inner Chinese.
I could make these saddened remains of vegetarian homicide insane!
Down my ale, me and this pepperoni filled belly have some work to do.
Ingredients for Chinese Crunch Salad:
- 1/2 medium green cabbage, chopped in food processor
- 1 small red cabbage, same deal
- 3 celery sticks, sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 2 large radishes, sliced thinly
- 1-2 large navel oranges, cut in sections (or sumo mandarins would be delish)
- 3 large scallions, chopped, divided (1/3 and 2/3 portions)
- 1/2 cup chopped raw almonds, toasted in a dry pan
- 1 medium eggplant, diced in cubes
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- Avocado oil, salt, ground black pepper
Ingredients for Scallion Sesame Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 of the scallions you chopped for the salad
- 1 hefty glug of rice wine vinegar
- 4-5 big dashes low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil (I use dark)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup avocado oil
- Sprinkle of salt
- 2-3 tsp raw honey
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Method for Vinaigrette:
Combine rice wine vinegar, soy, sesame oil, lime and olive oil together and whisk.
Add ginger, salt and honey – whisk again. Taste.
Add avocado oil to your liking. I used about a half cup.
Keep at room temp if you plan to eat in the next hour, otherwise refrigerate and stir prior to using.
Method for Salad (and Eggplant):
Begin by heating a nonstick pan to medium with a splash of avocado oil.
Once heated, toss in eggplant cubes. Drizzle the cubes with the chicken stock, sparingly. (Eggplants are sponges~!) Similarly, season lightly with salt – don’t over do it.*
RN will continue to monitor. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl layer green cabbage, red cabbage, bell pepper, radish, celery, orange slices, almonds and 2/3 scallions.
Once eggplants are browned and soft, transfer to bowl off the heat (about 8-10 minutes to get here).
Toss salad with vinaigrette and top with eggplant.
Other Ideas:
This salad would be delish with chicken too – marinated in citrus or ponzu. (Just nothing resembling the consistency of a rubber band or off of a banquet hall wedding menu.)
Chow mein noodles would add a nice crunch, in case you needed more crackle.
Ooo…baked chicken skin would be awesome too!
Topped with black sesame seeds would be cool.
*If you season too vigorously with salt initially, the eggplants will absorb and condense the flavor. Don’t overdo it on the salt or your croutons will require you initiate a blood pressure medicine protocol.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Concerns?
Feeling the fresh vibes? Try:
- My Panzanella Compromise Salad
- Winter Salad with Charred Radicchio and Ricotta
- Nice Try, Niçoise with Ahi
- Jacked Up Caprese
- Roasted Lemon Trout Dip with Charred Jalapeños
