Zucchini Miso Salad

Yes, I know, another zucchini recipe! I apparently have zucchini fever these days, but they are in season and look fantastic at the markets. Anyway, when I first came across this recipe I thought it looked great, but I have to admit, as I was preparing it, I got a bit skeptical because there was a massive heap of julienned zucchini and not much else. But after I added the dressing, almonds, sesame seeds, and nori to the zucchini, it was transformed into a wonderfully tasty salad. I love the combination of the miso dressing and the almonds with the zucchini. The salad is actually so good that I find myself craving it sometimes! The other day my family in Toronto was having a feast at home and my aunt requested a salad, so I made this. It was quite a hit. I should note that I had reduced the amount of chicken broth to about 1/8 cups because I didn't want it to get watery and gross. I've found that you don't want to use too much dressing or the salad gets salty and watery. Less really is more in this case. Also, I have found that if you can get a hold of some miso salad dressing (I found some at H Mart), you can replace the miso paste/broth combo with it. To save some time, I toasted the sesame seeds in a toaster. But overall, this is a pretty simple recipe.

ZUCCHINI MISO SALAD

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/8 cup chicken broth (or use vegatable broth for vegan version)
  
• 3 tablespoons miso paste (or use 4 tbsp miso dressing instead of the miso paste/broth combo)
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 6 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 sheets nori (seaweed), cut into thin slices (Tip: use scissors)
  
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Directions

1. Place sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. (Alternatively, toast sesame seeds in toaster.)
   
2. In a large bowl, mix the chicken broth, miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chile sauce, brown sugar, green onions, and cilantro. Toss dressing into the zucchini to coat just before serving (but be careful not to use too much dressing), and top with toasted sesame seeds, nori, and almonds.

Yields: 6 servings

Links:
Original recipe