Shungiku Pear Salad
I felt so lucky when I found this Japanese leafy vegetable, “shungiku”, at the local Asian grocery store.
Shungiku is one of the most popular nabe (Japanese hot pot) ingredients, and I couldn’t believe I found it when I was planning to have my first nabe. Honestly I had never seen one before in the U.S.
According to Echigo Farm, Shungiku is “rich in beta-carotene, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber”, and it “contains more beta-carotene than spinach and other winter leafy greens. The beta-carotene in shungiku has an antioxidant action that helps control the function of free radicals and provides protection against cancer as well as having an anti-aging effect.”
How cool is that! I had no idea that shungiku had such nutritional values, but I eat it because of its taste anyway.
We enjoyed shungiku cooked in our nabe, but I also discovered that it taste great fresh as well.
So I decided to make salad with leftover shungiku.
Its unique flavor accented with a slight bitterness is so refreshing and goes very well with the sweetness of the pear.
If you ever find shungiku, buy a bunch and try it just about any way you would with spinach. This leafy vegetable will make your usual dish a little special.
a handful of shungiku leaves
1 pear, peeled and sliced
a handful of grapes, cut in half
1~2 tablespoons Brie cheese, cut in small pieces
balsamic dressing
– 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 1 tablespoon canola oil
– 1/2 ~ 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
– salt and pepper
1. Make dressing. Combine all the ingredients. Whisk until emulsified.
2. Place the salad ingredients on plates. Serve with dressing.
春菊と洋梨のサラダ
先日鍋をしようとアジア食料品店に材料を買いに行ったら、
何とアメリカではじめて春菊を見つけました。
名前はSHUNGIKU、じゃなくって、確か中国系かベトナム系のような名前が付けられていたので、最初はちょっと不安。
でも少しちぎって食べてみたら、春菊の味~!
嬉しくって大きな束を買って帰りました。
もちろんまずは鍋で楽しみましたよ。
ただお店でためしに口にした生の春菊のおいしさが忘れられず、少し残しておいた春菊はサラダで楽しむことにしました。
今回他の材料やらドレッシングは洋風な感じにしてみました。
洋梨、葡萄、ブリーチーズとお皿に盛ったら、バルサミコドレッシングをかけて出来上がり~!
すっごく美味しくって、ちょっと洗練された一品になりました。
いつものサラダリーフじゃなくって、春菊っていうところが渋いっ!とにやけるのは私だけでしょうか(笑)。
↓ボタン押していただけるとランキングが上がって励みになります。Thank you!!