Daikon Salad

I've been working a lot of catering jobs this spring because budget cutbacks have reduced my hours at the library. While this may be sad for my librarian aspirations it is great news for my food blog because more catering means lots more interesting food ideas coming my way.

Here's a very healthy salad that Feast Creative Catering served at a recent Kiddish. (For the uninitiated, a Kiddish is the luncheon after a Bar or Bat Mizvah.) I loved how pretty it was with the pea sprouts and the chopped cilantro. It is also incredibly tasty and it holds up well for a few days after you make it although it is really best the day you make it. You'll notice that over time the red cabbage bleeds into the daikon and the colors get a little muddy after a day or two. Also worth noting that this is actually quite good for you, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it.

To give credit where credit is due the original recipe for this salad is from Martha Stewart's healthy collection, but I have made a few modifications (which I note). Also, I made this recipe for my big 40th birthday bash (more about that later) and I used 1 whole green cabbage and 1 whole red cabbage and, just so you know, that made enough salad for 70 people plus a gallon left over. You may want to use only a quarter of the cabbages and find some other use for them... just a thought.

And where did I find pea shoots? Trader Joe's is carrying them (sometimes) along with the sunflower sprouts. It is a real treat if you can find them because they are so attractive and have a lovely sweet flavor, but you could certainly make the salad without if you can't track them down.

Daikon Salad
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1 part purple cabbage, finely shredded
1 part green cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 part grated daikon radish
2 parts grated carrot
1 part sweet pea shoots
1 part sunflower sprouts
1 part pea shoots
1/8 part chopped cilantro leaves (or mint leaves if you prefer - or both - or mint, cilantro and thai basil)
1/4 part sesame dressing
toasted sesame seeds

1. Toss all ingredients except for cilantro, dressing and sesame seeds in a large bowl to combine.

2. Drizzle dressing over tossed vegetables and mix to thoroughly combine.

3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.


Sesame Dressing (makes 3/4 cup)
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1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil (or even olive oil)
fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon boiling water

1. In a blender or food processor combine all ingredients except for water and blend for 1 minute.

2. Add water and blend an additional minute.

Dressing will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.