Hetty McKinnon’s Pad Thai Salad
This recipe from Hetty McKinnon's cookbook, To Asia, With Love, is a salad version of crowd favorite, pad thai noodles.
Serves4
This is a fresher, crunchier version of crowd favourite, pad thai noodles. Rather than using cooked vegetables, I’ve used raw kale and cabbage, which I’ve softened by massaging in salt and lime. This leaves the veggies citrusy, with a bit of crunch, adding an exciting brightness to this classic noodle dish. You could use other veggies too — carrots would be a nice addition — and add pan-fried tofu slices if you want to increase the protein. The signature tamarind and lime flavours of pad thai are featured in the zesty dressing, while roasted chopped peanuts make a lovely textural topping.
Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia with Love is Kitchn’s September pick for our Cookbook Club. See how you can participate here.
Hetty McKinnon's Pad Thai Salad with Shredded Cabbage and Kale Recipe
This recipe from Hetty McKinnon's cookbook, To Asia, With Love, is a salad version of crowd favorite, pad thai noodles.
Serves4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Leaves from 1/2 bunch of kale, finely sliced
- 1/2
small green or purple cabbage (about 9 ounces), finely sliced
- 1
lime, halved
- 12 ounces
dried wide rice noodles
Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3
radishes, finely sliced
- 2
scallions, finely sliced
- 20
basil leaves
Handful of cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons
roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Sea salt
Black pepper
Pad Thai Dressing
- 3 tablespoons
brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons
Vegan "Fish Sauce" or regular fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons
rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon
tamarind purée
- 1 tablespoon
toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon
red chile flakes
- 1 small
garlic clove
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
For Vegan "Fish Sauce":
- 1/2 cup
lime juice
- 2 tablespoons
brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons
tamari or soy sauce
- 1 small clove
garlic, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon
sea salt
Instructions
To prepare the pad thai dressing, combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, tamarind, sesame oil, chile flakes and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Place the kale and cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and squeeze over the juice of 1/2 lime. Massage the salt and juice into the leaves to tenderize them, then leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, usually about 6–7 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and leave to drain.
To serve, combine the noodles, massaged leaves and dressing in a large bowl and toss to coat. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. Add the radish, scallions, basil and cilantro and toss gently. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the peanuts, then serve with the remaining lime, cut into wedges, on the side.
For Vegan "Fish Sauce"
Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
Recipe Notes
Substitute:
Kale: chard, shaved broccoli or cauliflower
Cabbage: Napa (Chinese) cabbage or finely shaved Brussels sprouts
Recipe reprinted by permission from To Asia, With Love, by Hetty McKinnon, published by Prestel.
