Everyone is looking to increase the veggies they consume, but sometimes we fall into the same rut. Steamed asparagus, steamed broccoli – same old, same old. Salads are a great way to get more vegetables into your meals, but sometimes get boring.
After spending some time in southeast Asia, a trip to the local TNT was in the cards. Pete and I found a variety of different sauces, spices and vegetables. We picked up some interesting ingredients to play with in future posts, but for this dressing, I decided to work with some of the ingredients that are in the pantry.
Bok choy is a pretty versatile vegetable that can be added to a stir fry or steamed. Leaving it raw gives a little crunch and a hint of bitterness. Although bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage, it doesn’t look cabbage-like. It has dark green leaves with white stalks. One cup has just 9 calories, minimal fat, but is high in protein, dietary fibre and almost all the essential vitamins and minerals. One cup of bok choy gives you an entire day’s supply of vitamin A and 34% of your vitamin C requirements (as well as calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, folate and B-6).
Add this all up and you will definitely want to learn (how to make) your AB²Cs!
AB²C Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes; Serves: 4 – 6
What you need:
- 8 oz (roughly 12 stems) asparagus, chopped
- 12 oz (roughly 1/2 head) broccoli, chopped (peeled stalks and florets)
- 8 oz (about 10) baby bok choy, sliced (white and green leaves – make sure to rinse thoroughly)
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- Asian-inspired dressing (recipe below)
What you do:
- Place chopped asparagus and broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle with water and microwave for 2 minutes, stir, microwave another 2 minutes
- Strain and rinse with cold water
- In a large bowl, add chopped bok choy
- Add cooked asparagus and broccoli
- Add sliced green onion
- Add Asian-inspired dressing (recipe below) as needed (I used roughly 1/2 cup)
- Toss to combine
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top
- Serve
Asian Inspired Dressing
Prep time: 2 minutes; Makes: 1 cup
What you need:
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey (omit sugar/honey to make this Whole30 compliant)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (or Tamari gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 tsp chili paste or Sriracha (spice averse can omit)
- 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
What you do:
- Put all ingredients into a mason jar and shake to mix
Want to turn this side salad into a meal? Add some grilled chicken, beef or fish on top.
Yum! Love the idea of just lighting cooking and then cold water refresh on the asparagus and broccoli so they have flavour and crunch in the salad. Dressing sounds flavourful. If I omit the sugar it will be Whole30 compliant too. Thanks Elin
Thanks Larissa for the Whole30 compliant tip! I will update the post.