Summer chopped salad with citrus sesame dressing
Prep 30 mins (plus cooling)
Cook 20 mins
Serves 4
Difficulty 3
“My favourite go-to lunch is always a chopped salad,” says Bill Granger. “I love that you can eat it just with a fork. Serve this as it is or with haloumi, chicken, tofu or salmon. But, like any salad, the best part about this dish is the dressing. This is magic dressing, with a creaminess that isn’t cream.”
2 corn cobs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini (courgettes), chopped
¼ small white cabbage, finely sliced
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
2 small beetroot, cooked and cut into wedges
1 small iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
120g edamame beans, blanched
1 small handful dill
1 small handful parsley
2 spring onions, finely chopped
4 tbsp furikake (Japanese nori sesame topping; see note)
CITRUS SESAME DRESSING
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp tahini
1 tbsp tamari
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp ponzu sauce (citrus soy; see note)
2 tbsp light-flavoured oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp wasabi paste
1 red Asian shallot, finely diced
DEEP-FRIED CHICKPEAS
500ml light-flavoured oil, for deep-frying
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp furikake (Japanese nori sesame topping; see note)
1. Cut the corn cobs in half and simmer in a large pan of water for 8 minutes, then drain and cool. Cut off the kernels.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a hot pan, add the corn kernels and zucchini and cook until the zucchini is just starting to soften and colour.
3. Meanwhile, make the citrus sesame dressing. Whisk the garlic, tahini, tamari, vinegar and ponzu in a bowl. Slowly add the oils, whisking continuously until emulsified. Whisk in the wasabi and then stir in the shallot.
4. To deep-fry the chickpeas, heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles and dances on the top of the oil. Carefully add the chickpeas and fry for 2 minutes, or until they start to blister. Drain in a bowl lined with kitchen paper. Season with the furikake while still hot and then leave to cool down completely. (You can store them in an airtight container for up to a day – they make an excellent snack.)
5. Arrange the white cabbage, cucumber, beetroot and lettuce in a bowl, add the apple cider vinegar and toss well. Arrange the corn, zucchini and edamame on top. Drizzle the sesame dressing over the salad and finish with the chickpeas, dill, parsley, spring onions and furikake.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
N O T E
Ponzu and furikake are available from Asian supermarkets.
This recipe has been extracted with permission from Australian Food by Bill Granger, photography by Mikkel Vang. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.
