Crunchy Asian-Style Salad

A simple vegetable peeler can be great multi-use tool in the kitchen, you can shave ribbons of carrots or cucumbers, make all sorts of pretty garnishes, and even make the thinest slices of potato for a gratin, or shave bits of butter for use in pastry-making. Those carrot ribbons were the inspiration for this crunchy salad, along with cabbage and bean sprouts. I like that this salad stands up well to a little stress, in the lunchbox it retains it’s crunch and it doesn’t wilt in the heat of a summer barbeque, it’s also a great as a sort of slaw, wrapped in a tortilla, or as a salad accompaniment to salmon or chicken.

Crunchy Asian-Style Salad
If you can’t find fresh mung bean sprouts, they’re usually available canned in the Asian foods section of the grocery.

2-3 carrots
1/2 head red cabbage
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1 tbl soy sauce
2 tbl rice wine vinegar or other mild vinegar
3 tbl peanut oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbl black sesame seeds
optional additions: chopped scallions, daikon radish, pickled ginger or toasted peanuts

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, oil, vinegar, and ginger in the bottom of your serving bowl.
2. Peel the carrots, then continue with the vegetable peeler to shave ribbons of the carrots. Finely shred the cabbage, you should have about 3 cups of cabbage.
3. Combine the carrots, cabbage, and sprouts and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top and serve.
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