Sweet and salty ginger dressing you want to drink, doused over crisp thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and fresh carrots. So simple and so good!
You know that salad you get at the Japanese steakhouse! The server, dressed in a kimono, sets it before you. You look at it and think, well that looks simple enough. It's just a little iceberg lettuce and maybe some red cabbage and carrots.
But then you take a bite. What is that dressing? It punches you square in the mouth with ginger. You detect a hint of sweet. Then salty. Is that soy sauce? You may taste a hint of sesame. As you eat this salad, you find yourself squeezing the lettuce between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, extracting the delicious dressing. Sucking on it a little longer to savor the flavor. You're almost finished with the salad, and the geisha-garbed server asks if she can take it away. "NO!" you bark.
You get to the bottom of the bowl. You check left, then right, and decide that nobody around you is worth sacrificing that last bit of dressing on the bottom. So you throw all table etiquette aside, pick up the bowl and drink the dressing. This is THAT SALAD!
The Recipe
(Serves two)
LFG Japanese Steakhouse Salad
2 C Iceberg Lettuce thinly sliced
1/4 C Red Cabbage thinly sliced
2 T Carrots julienned
LFG Japanese Steakhouse Salad Dressing
2 T Sesame Oil
2 T Rice Vinegar
1 T Coconut Aminos (or long-fermented, raw soy sauce from Asian market)
1 T Fresh Ginger finely grated
1/2 t Mayonnaise (homemade or the good stuff made with avocado oil)
1/4 t Raw Local Honey
Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the Salad
Core the iceberg lettuce head. Tip it on its head and run cold water into the core hollow for about 30 seconds until the lettuce is well washed. Tip it core hollow down and let drain for 5 minutes. Place the washed, drained lettuce head onto a cutting surface core hollow down. Cut the iceberg lettuce head in half from top to core hollow. Take one of the halves and shave four 1/4 inch slices from top to bottom. This should be enough for two salads. Repeat the process for the red cabbage, only you'll only need one thin slice for two salads. Wash and julienne the carrot, or buy the organic julienned carrots in a bag if you can find them. Plate the lettuce, red cabbage and carrots artfully in a soup plate or bowl.
Step 2: Make Dressing
In a medium bowl add all salad dressing ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Divide equally between the two salads.
Serve with LFG Miso Soup for a light, Japanese inspire dinner. Pair with Japanese aged whiskey.
Kanpai!