Thai salad

I have been trying to incorporate more cruciferous vegetables into my diet as they are so good for you! Cruciferous vegetables are thought to decrease inflammation, protect again cancer and contain a healthy amount of nutrients. 1 cup of raw cabbage contains 56% of the daily value of vitamin C and 28% of your vitamin K. Both vitamin C and vitamin K are essential for bone health.

I came across this recipe in the cookbook EAST by Meera Sodha which has 120 vegan and vegetarian recipes from Bangalore to Beijing (and available from our local library!). This salad is easy to make, refreshing and light. I love the contrast of flavors and textures; sweet, spicy, tangy and crunchy. I only had red cabbage available so I didn’t add the iceberg or the carrots and it was still delicious. I used regular basil and loved it.

Serves 4 as a side or 2 for lunch

Ingredients

1 pink or red grapefruit

1/4 cup lime juice

3 cups finely shredded red cabbage

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned

3 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce

1/3 cup torn up basil (Thai or regular) leaves

1 tsp salt

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 red chili, very finely chopped (adjust amount of chili based upon personal taste and the heat of the chili)

1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons avocado oil

1/2 cup unsalted cashews (roughly chopped)

2/3 cup crispy fried onions (store-bought or make your own - see link at end of recipe)

Creating the Magic!

• Place the grapefruit on a chopping board and cut a third off the end. Squeeze the juice of this third into a small bowl to get around 1/4 cup of juice. Add the lime juice and keep to one side.

• Slice the peel off the remaining grapefruit, cut the flesh into segments and place in a large mixing bowl.

• Add the cabbage, carrots, lettuce and all but a handful of the basil leaves and mix. Add the salt, mix and leave to one side.

• To make the dressing, pound the garlic, chilis and sugar into a paste using a pestle and mortar. Add the soy sauce and muddle, then add the grapefruit and lime juice and mix again. If your pestle and mortar is large enough, add the oil and mix. If not, then decant the dressing to a bowl, then add the oil and whisk to combine.

• Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well, then tip onto a platter or into a salad bowl. Top with the remaining basil leaves, the chopped cashews and the crispy fried onions and serve immediately.

Tip: Dress salad right before eating for best results.

Crispy onions: Here is a recipe. This recipe requires buttermilk but there are plenty of recipes online that use either milk or eggs. The onions aren’t necessary but they add a nice crunch and taste.