Ginger-Soy Cucumber & Plum Salad
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- freshly grated ginger from a piece of ginger ¾ inch
- jalapeño or serrano pepper 1-2
- white wine vinegar or rice vinegar ½ cup
- soy sauce or tamari 2 ½ tsp
- toasted sesame oil 1.5-2 tsp
- organic brown sugar or agave nectar or pure maple syrup 2 tsp
- Persian cucumbers or English cucumber 1
- medium or large ripe but firm plums or medium / large peaches or nectarines 3
- fresh mint leaves 1 handful
- small or medium ripe avocado 1
- roasted cashews or peanuts ¼ cup
- Flaky sea salt
Ginger-Soy Dressing
For spicy, use 2 pepper. For medium heat, use 1 pepper. For mild heat, omit or use 1 pepper but remove the membranes and seeds.
Don't let your plums (or peaches/nectarines) get overripe, as they'll be mushy in the salad. If they ripen before you’re ready to make the salad, store them in the fridge until ready to use. If your avocado is ripe before you need it, put in the fridge until ready to use. Storage: This salad is best fresh; only make as much as you can eat. Nutrition boost: If you have any celery, thinly slice some ribs on a bias and add it to the salad. Or, if you have napa cabbage, thinly slice some, and fold into the salad. For protein, fold in some shelled edamame. Shortcut: If you didn’t make the Ginger-Soy Dressing during meal prep, dress the salad with your best-quality extra virgin olive oil and best-quality vinegar.
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1Prepare: freshly grated ginger from a piece of ginger , jalapeño or serrano pepper , white wine vinegar or rice vinegar , soy sauce or tamari , toasted sesame oil , organic brown sugar or agave nectar or pure maple syrup .
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2Add 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger, chile peppers if using, vinegar, soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and sugar to a 16-ounce (500 mL) jar for which you have a lid. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to combine.
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3Taste for seasonings, adding more ginger as desired, more soy sauce for savory saltiness, more sesame oil for rich nuttiness, or more sugar for sweetness. It should be very tangy, a little gingery, and a little salty and sweet.
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4Seal the jar, label it, and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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5Gather: 4-6 tbsp Ginger-Soy Dressing (from meal prep), Persian cucumbers or English cucumber , medium or large ripe but firm plums or medium / large peaches or nectarines , fresh mint leaves , small or medium ripe avocado , roasted cashews or peanuts , Flaky sea salt .
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6Take the Ginger-Soy Dressing out of the fridge.
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7For Persian cucumbers, slice into rounds on a sharp bias, about ¼ inch (.5 cm) thick. For English cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, then slice into half moons, about ¼ inch (.5 cm) thick.
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8Slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Cut into wedges or slices. Tear the mint leaves with your hands, or chop with a knife. Thinly slice or dice the avocado, if using. Chop the nuts.
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9In a serving bowl, combine the fruit and cucumbers. Shake the jar of Ginger-Soy Dressing, then spoon 4 tbsp of dressing onto the salad. Toss to coat, then taste and add more dressing as desired.
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10Just before serving, fold in the mint and avocado, if using. Gently toss to combine. Scatter on the nuts and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, as desired.