Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
A sweet and salty refreshing salad for a hot summer day!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vinegar- white, rice, or AVC
- 1 red onion (divided, see instructions)
- 3 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or ½ hot pepper (to taste)
- 1 package of ground beef, pork, or extra firm tofu
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 cups cucumber, sliced or diced
- 2–3 radishes, sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped herb (basil, cilantro, and/or mint)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce (vegetarian)
- 4–5 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar, regular sugar, honey, or maple
- Chopped or whole leaf lettuce (see instructions)
- Jasmine rice
Directions:
- Prepare rice: boil 2 cups water, add 1 cup rice, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes
- Dice half the onion (you’ll need 1 cup diced) and thinly slice 1/4 of the onion ( 1/4- 1/2 cup).
- Place the sliced onions in a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup hot boiling water and 2 tablespoons vinegar, place in the fridge.
- If you have tofu– squeeze out excess moisture, pat dry, and break into crumbles
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced red onion, saute 3-4 minutes, add garlic, and chili flakes OR minced hot pepper. Saute until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground meat or tofu, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon. Season the meat with salt and pepper and continue cooking until all the liquid releases and evaporates about 10 minutes. (If using meat, drain the fat from the meat, using a fine-mesh strainer.)
- While the protein is cooking, prep the remaining ingredients. Place the cucumber, radish, scallions, and herb in a bowl. Add the drained meat or ground tofu and the strained pickled onions. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste, adjust salt, lime and heat.
- Serve with lettuce wraps, chopped lettuce, and/or cooked rice.