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A few months after writing the first post on Cookin’ Canuck, we went to visit my friend (J) and her family. To say that J and I know each other well would be an understatement. You see, she has been my dearest friend since grade four. When you know someone for that long, there are a lot of life experiences stored away in that vault of friendship…high school crushes, high school heart breaks (oh, the drama!), first puffs on a cigarette (then never again!), watching each other say “I do” to the loves of our lives and holding each other’s children for the first time. To name a few.
As I headed off to college for the first time, many years ago, J gave me a mug with a quote on it. I still have that mug, and I still cherish the sentiment of the quote.
She is my friend, she is my sister and she holds a very special place in my heart.
One of the things both J and I enjoy doing (and it’s even better when we do it together) is cooking. J has a penchant for experimenting with different flavors just as I do. On that particular visit a few years ago, she whipped up a fabulous Thai feast, including a spicy and lightly flavored cucumber salad that she learned to make in a Thai cooking class. I’ve made that cucumber salad many times since then. It took me a little while to get past the smell of the fish sauce (just don’t breathe in deeply while making the dressing) and always have to remind myself that the flavors mellows considerably once it melds with the other ingredients.
This salad is spin-off of J’s cucumber salad, replacing the cucumber with thinly sliced pieces of crunchy, refreshing jicama. I honestly had no idea how this was going to turn out, but was shortly emitting sighs of “Wow, this is so good!” Even my 8-year old (lover of all things spicy) put his stamp of approval on this one. The natural sweetness of the vegetable balances the salty spiciness of the dressing beautifully. Pair it with a salad of rice noodles and shrimp for a fresh, summertime meal.
I hope that the next time we’re together, I can treat J to a bowl of this salad.
The recipe:
Cut the jicama in quarter wedges, then thinly slice. Thinly slice the red onion into half-moon pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, rice vinegar and agave nectar until the agave nectar dissolves. Add red chile flakes and whisk again.
Place the jicama and onion slices into a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the rice vinegar dressing.
Add the cilantro and toss again. Serve.
Other Thai-inspired salads:
Use Real Butter’s Thai Shrimp Salad
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Easy Thai-Flavored Raw Broccoli Salad
Shutterbean’s Thai Watermelon Salad
She Simmers’ Spicy Green Apple Salad
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 1/2 jicama, peeled
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp agave nectar (can substitute sugar)
- 1 red chili, minced or 1/2 tsp red chile flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the jicama in quarter wedges, then thinly slice. Thinly slice the red onion into half-moon pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, rice vinegar and agave nectar until the agave nectar dissolves. Add red chile flakes and whisk again.
- Place the jicama and onion slices into a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the rice vinegar dressing.
- Add the cilantro and toss again. Serve.
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha…I have to remind myself to do the same with fish sauce. This looks so refreshing and delicious!
What a sweet story of friendship! I hope you can make this for her too
I love jicama, what a perfect salad with those delicious Thai flavors!
Great looking salad! I love using jicama! I hope I will see you next week in Park City
Where was this recipe a few months ago?!?!? I for the first time ever purchased jicama and it sat on my counter until it was no longer edible. I didn’t really know what to do with it and got lazy on the recipe investigation! Looks amazing
Awww…loved hearing about you and J
Love this recipe, I’m on a no cooking kick right now with the heat.
Such a nice summer salad Dara!
I still need to try jicama, I’m totally missing out. This salad sounds great!
I love jicama and know that I would love this salad. And what a great friend!!
I never had jicama but the salad sounds like something I would love to dig in.
Oh yes indeed. I can tell I would love this salad. (And thanks for the mention!)
Oh! I just bought a giant jicama yesterday for another recipe and I wondered what to do with the leftovers.
YUM. I think I might add some cucumber too. I seriously LOVE your recipes, Dara!
I love this kind of dish, with clean, simple but intense flavors! And some nice crunch. What more could you ask for in a summer dish?
The story of your friendship is very touching and I can relate so much. I have a friend I shared so much with in high school and I’m so thankful that we are still friends. She is the only one who can make me laugh with just a look.
What a wonderful, light, summer salad!
I can never find recipes that use jicama that are different from the usual. Thank you for this unique and delicious looking rec ipe.
Wow, how strange. My daughter recently graduated from being a daisy to being a brownie, one of the other parents recorded the ceremony and each girl received a DVD. Anyway one of the songs they used is the same as your quote and my daughter couldn’t stop singing it
I do love the look of that super fresh salad too!!
What a sweet story and a delicious looking recipe. I love cooking with similar ingredients so will have to try this combination out sometime soon. Thanks for sharing!