Green Bean, Snow Pea and Carrot Salad with Daikon Greens

posted in: Recipes, sugar cravings, vegetable | 0

Second only to berries and cherries, green beans are one of my favorite summer foods. As a child, I could often be found sitting under the pole beans munching away.

My mom canned beans for years, but I wouldn’t touch them. The only way I like them is raw or slightly cooked, so they retain their perfect crunch and slight sweetness.IMG_20140627_150330

This salad uses a quick blanching technique that I use daily to prepare vegetables for a wide variety of salads. Easier on my digestion than raw salads, but lightly cooked so they still retain their crunch and freshness. Blanched salads are a great antidote for cravings for sugar and crunch.

I love this salad naked, but a yummy, sweet dressing is always a fun addition. The dressing makes enough for leftovers and will keep in the fridge for about a week as long as the lemon juice in it stays fresh. Feel free to add a little tahini to the dressing to make it a little creamier.

If you aren’t able to find daikon greens, you can use kale, turnip greens, radish greens.

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Green Bean, Snow Pea and Carrot Salad with Daikon Greens

1 carrot, washed and cut into moons
1 handful snow peas, stem end cut off and sliced in half on a slight diagonal
1 handful green beans, stem end cut off and sliced in half
2 handfuls chopped daikon greens, leaves and tender parts of stems
Lemon Balsamic Dressing (see below)

1.  Bring a medium size pot of water to a low boil on medium heat. You want the water to stop boiling as soon as you put the vegetables in, otherwise the heat is too high.

2.  Starting with the carrot slices, place into the boiling water and leave until just turning bright. Quickly remove from water with a slotted spoon or 6″ strainer like this one. Spread onto a large flat plate so they can cool quickly. Wait for the water to boil again and then continue with the next vegetable, cooking each type of vegetable separately. Cook the strongest tasting vegetable, the daikon greens, last. In general, each vegetable should only take 10-15 seconds. Stand and watch while you are cooking the vegetables, so you can get them out of the water as soon as they are done.

3. Serve with the Lemon Balsamic Dressing. You can also serve these vegetables as is or with a sprinkle of lemon juice or brown rice vinegar.IMG_20140627_150056

Lemon Balsamic Dressing

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp brown rice syrup
1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp all natural stone-ground mustard
1 Tbsp water

Put all ingredients in a small jar and shake until combined. You may need to use a fork or spoon to help the rice syrup combine. Delicious on blanched vegetables, raw salad or pressed salad.