Poolside Sesame Slaw

Kathy made this salad and declared it delicious even without the chicken. – Elizabeth

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons olive or a neutral oil
• salt and sriracha to taste

Slaw

• 4 cups thinly sliced mixed carrots, cucumber, celery, bell peppers, sugar snaps and/or snow peas
• 2 cups thinly sliced red, green, savoy or napa cabbage
• 1 cup salted peanuts, chopped
• 1 cup scallion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• Handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional))
• 1lb chicken thighs, grilled and thinly sliced (optional, see Note)

Instructions

Make the Dressing

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and run until smooth, scraping down the sides once. You can also hand-whisk the ingredients in a bowl, but be vigorous so the chunky ingredients smooth out. Taste and adjust ingredients to your preference.

Assemble the Salad

1. Holding back a little of the peanuts, scallion and herbs for garnish, add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing, adding some or all of the remaining dressing to taste.
2. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
3. Sprinkle with reserved peanuts, scallions and herbs for extra prettiness. Eat right away or bring it somewhere wonderful in a cooler and eat it in a few hours.

Note

• For the crunch element, you could use cashews, sunflower seeds, or even toasted black and white sesame seeds (only a couple of tablespoons).
• For the chicken, brush 1lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs with a 1:1 mixture of dark soy and honey, grill and sliced them thin. Could do the same with Tofu for an entirely vegan salad. I also think grilled shrimp would be delicious as well.

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com