:: My Kimchi Salad

Hey you! So…

I make this salad twice a week and vary the ingredients. If you don’t have mirin you can make it without. See what is in your cupboard and add the flavours you like. Sometimes I mix some peanut butter with boiling water and add that. Sometimes I add some honey. Sometimes a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. And I always add MORE chili when I serve this! I am spicy like that! I make a batch and put it in containers in the fridge so that I always have something delicious to eat… or to give away to a friend. This salad LOOKS super spicy, but the noodles really temper the chili, so it’s not as hot as it seems. You can also forget the noodle part and make the salad without, because it’s delicious as is, or served on rice!

Let me know if you make this!

Basic Ingredients
One tub of Kimchi from your local Asian grocer (I buy the Chinese Cabbage style one!)
One packet of ramen or soba noodles
2 diced cucumbers
1 diced avocado
1/2 tub of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 handful of diced beancurd
(you can also add some blanched peas, green beans, snow pea sprouts… whatever YOU love!)


Dressing
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon of mirin
1/2 tablespoon of nice vinegar (white wine, red wine or sherry are all good!)


Garnish
a handful of fried shallots (the kind you buy in a packet!)
a sprinkling of chopped peanuts if you like
a lemon or a lime squeezed over the top
Optional :: Coriander

How To:
Cook the noodles in a big pot of boiling water as per the instructions on the packet. Be careful not to over cook them. That would be yuck. No one likes mooshy noodles. Test them often until they are done. Now, cool the noodles under cold running water and drain them thoroughly.

Mix all the other ingredients together in a BIG BOWL. You can just slosh it all together and mix it up nicely with a pair of tongs or a spoon.Try not to mush it to much if you have added the avocado, or better still, put it on last. Add the cold, drained noodles and toss well again. If you are hands on, use your hands, but keep your chili fingers away from your face etc!

Plate it up and garnish with the shallots, peanuts and lemon or lime! You can add fresh herbs, too, if you like. Coriander would be lovely!

Ta-dah! Eat it up with some icy mineral water or cold white wine or beer! Or a light red. Yes. Do that.