Plum & Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Vinaigrette
This roasted ginger dressing is smoky, spicy, aromatic, funky, sweet, and complex, making for a very extraordinary, deliciously healthy spring and summer plum salad!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 plums pitted and cut into 1” wedges sliced (can sub another stone fruit)
- 7 oz Mizuna can sub with arugula or another peppery green
- 3 shallots thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp canola oil to crisp up the shallots
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro loosely packed
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
For the Roasted Ginger Vinaigrette
- 8 ounces fresh ginger
- 1 Thai chili green or red
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tbsp fish sauce omit it vegan
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Zest & Juice 1-2 limes to taste
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Heat broiler. Broil ginger, skin and all, until blackened and beginning to scorch in places and a paring knife passes through the center with relative ease, 40–50 minutes.
- Slice ginger (yep the skin is still on) and pulse in a food processor with… ginger, chili, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor, adding additional water by tablespoonful’s if needed, until a smooth paste forms.
- Thinly slice shallots. Combine shallots and oil in a saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring constantly, as shallots fry. When shallots are a light golden brown, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt. Shallots will continue cooking a bit after you remove them from the pan so don’t let them get to dark before doing so. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.
- Arrange Mizuna (or arugula) in a large salad bowl or tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing (to taste). I like to first toss the greens and then add the sliced cucumbers, plums and cilantro tossing again gently with your hands.
- Top salad with crispy shallots and black sesame seeds over the salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Scrub that ginger well since we’re eating the peal too!
- If you have a mandolin, use it for the cucumbers and shallots. If no, slice as thinly as possible with a knife.
- The Mizuna can easily be replaced by arugula (or another peppery green).
- Keep a close eye on those shallots and remove ‘em from the heat when they’re lightly golden! Remember they’ll continue cooking a bit after removal from the pan.
- Make extra shallots! And try ‘em sprinkled over other savory dishes.
- Dressing can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
- Crispy shallots can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.
- When possible, buy local and organic produce.