Jicama Slaw

For those of you unfamiliar with jicama, it is a fairly large root vegetable originating from South and Central America. When eaten it’s texture is akin to a water chestnut or a firm pear and it’s flavor is starchy and slightly sweet.  Jicama can be eaten raw or cooked the latter being my favorite. Nowadays you can find jicama year round in the produce section of many grocery stores.

I had my first experience with jicama a few years back. It was a surprise ingredient in an otherwise typical mayonnaise based coleslaw. The jicama definitely added a little something special but the mayonnaise seemed to mute its full potential. I began to play around with the jicama’s flavor profile and looked to see what others had done before me.

I found that jicama blends particularly well with many Asian flavors. My recipe for jicama slaw highlights this relationship. I thinly slice a mixture of fresh, colorful vegetables and toss them with a sharp, mildly sweet rice wine vinegar dressing. The addition of sesame oil, toasted peanuts and fresh cilantro give this slaw a distinctly savory yet clean quality reminiscent of green papaya salads found in Thai cuisine.

The bright qualities of this jicama slaw make it a delicious juxtaposition to heavier dishes as it helps them from becoming cloying and stodgy. Try this slaw with my Sesame-Honey Chicken Wing recipe or pair it with some roasted pork belly. If meat isn’t your thing, crisp up some chunks of tofu, sprinkle with thinly sliced Bird’s eye or jalapeno chilies and serve with a side of jicama slaw. Yuuuummmy!

Jicama Slaw

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Asha

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 medium jicama (peeled and Julienned)
• 2 cups of shredded Napa cabbage
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and Julienned)
• 1 red pepper (cored, deseeded and Julienned)
• 4 scallions (thinly chopped (green parts only))
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup chopped (toasted peanuts)
• 1/2 cup rough chopped cilantro

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Instructions

Vinaigrette

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (such as a mason jar) and shake vigorously until all of the ingredients become homogenized into a vinaigrette. Set aside

Salad

1. In a medium-large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salad and toss to evenly disperse
2. Add the vinaigrette, toss to combine and set aside for 15-20 minutes so that all of the flavors have a chance to meld

To Serve

1. Just before serving, check the seasonings and adjust if needed
2. Toss the salad to redistribute the juices
3. Transfer the salad mix to a medium-sized, decorative bowl
4. Serve immediately

Notes

You can make the vinaigrette and chop the vegetables up to one day in advance but do not combine the vegetables with the vinaigrette until just before serving.