Spring’s Hero Salad: Fresh, Filling & Full of Flavour

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Dressing:

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp hot water

1 clove garlic, grated

2 tsp ginger, grated

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp rice vinegar

Crispy rice:

2 cups cooked white rice

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp gochujang*

Salad:

2 spring onions, sliced

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 small Mediterranean cucumber, diced

1 head baby white cabbage, very thinly sliced

100g steamed broccoli, cooled and finely diced

Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

250g white button mushrooms, sliced

100g fresh lettuce leaves

2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lime wedges, for serving

*Gochujang is a spicy, fermented chilli paste used in Korean cuisine. It is readily available at all Asian supermarkets as well as Woolworths, Checkers, Yuppiechef and a lot of online retailers e.g. Faithful to Nature.

Method:

For the dressing:

Combine the peanut butter and hot water and whisk.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Taste to adjust seasoning and then set aside until serving.

For the crispy rice:

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Place cooked rice in a bowl with the soy sauce, sesame oil and gochujang.

Mix the seasoning thoroughly into the rice with your hands so every grain is covered.

Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Spread the rice out in a thin layer.

Bake for 10 minutes and then agitate, flipping the rice over to evenly brown all the grains.

Bake for another 10 minutes until brown and crispy.

Set aside to cool.

For the salad:

Combine all of the salad ingredients except for the lettuce leaves and peanuts together in a large bowl.

Season with a little salt and pepper. Mix.

Add the crispy rice and pour over the dressing.

Toss to mix well.

Assemble dressed salad on a large serving platter.

Plate lettuce leaves alongside the chopped salad.

Scatter with peanuts and serve with lime wedges on the side and enjoy!