Chinese Veggie Salad with Soy Dressing

Name: Chinese Veggie Salad with Soy Dressing
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: bean curd sheets; mung bean sprouts; carrots; mushrooms, enoki (straw); cloud ear black fungus; lotus root; english cucumber; cilantro; soy sauce, tamari; Chinese rice vinegar; sesame oil; olive oil, extra-virgin; sugar; red pepper flakes; garlic; ginger; scallions, spring or green onions

Submitted by happyzhangbo

This light yet tasty Chinese veggie salad is made with bean sprouts, lotus root, carrot, cucumber, black mushrooms, and tofu sheet, then tossed with a soy-rice vinegar-sesame oil dressing. A refreshing side dish that goes well with most of the main dishes, or just serve it with some steamed rice to complete a delicious meal.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

25 min

COOK

5 min

READY

30 min

Ingredients

SHEET BEAN CURD SHEETS
slice into 1/4-inch strips *

CUPS MUNG BEAN SPROUTS

EACH CARROTS
peeled and slice into matchsticks

BUNCH ENOKI MUSHROOMS
optional, ends removed *

EACH CLOUD EAR BLACK FUNGUS *

EACH LOTUS ROOT
about 1 cup, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices *

EACH ENGLISH CUCUMBER
slice into match sticks *

CUP CILANTRO
freshly chopped

Dressing

TABLESPOONS SOY SAUCE, TAMARI
or to taste

1 ½

TABLESPOONS CHINESE RICE VINEGAR
or to taste, or any rice vinegar *

TABLESPOON SESAME OIL
or to taste

TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, EXTRA-VIRGIN

TABLESPOON SUGAR
or maple syrup, honey, or to taste

TEASPOON RED PEPPER FLAKES
or to taste, optional

CLOVE GARLIC
freshly minced

TEASPOON GINGER
peeled and freshly grated

EACH SCALLIONS, SPRING OR GREEN ONIONS
thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to blanch the vegetables and tofu sheet.

Blanch the tofu sheet first, add the tofu sheet strips into the boiling water, blanch for 2 minutes.

With a long handle sieve or any similar tool you have on hand, remove the blanched tofu sheet strips into a colander, rinse under cold running water.

Drain well and place into a large mixing bowl.

Add bean sprouts into boiling water, blanch for 30 seconds, remove and rinse under cold running water.

Drain well and place into the large mixing bowl with the tofu sheet strips.

Add carrots and enoki mushrooms if using into the boiling water, blanch for 3 minutes, remove and rinse under cold running water.

Drain well and place into the large mixing bowl with the tofu sheet strips and bean sprouts.

Add the lotus root and black fungus, blanch for 5 minutes until the lotus root becomes tender but still crisp, the black fungus are expanded and soft.

Remove and rinse under cold running water.

Drain well and place into the large mixing bowl with all the other blanched veggies and tofu sheet strips.

Add the cucumber and cilantro into the bowl as well.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well blended.

Pour over the salad, and toss gently with your hands, chopsticks or wooden spatula until well coated and mixed.

Season to taste with more soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes.

Serve or put in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Note: Blanching these veggies and tofu sheet will kill all the bacterias that can cause food poisoning, and also get rid of some of the bitterness from the raw veggies. In Chinese cuisine, blanching has been used a lot in daily cooking.