Watercress Salad With Soy Sesame Dressing Recipes

COLD SOBA NOODLE SALAD WITH CREAMY SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Spread the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, and toast until golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the corn to the boiling water, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the corn to a colander, reserving the boiling water for later use, and run the corn under cold water to cool. Cut the kernels from the cobs; set aside.
• Transfer the sesame seeds to a blender and grind for 15 seconds. Add the oil, and puree until smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, chile-garlic sauce and ginger, and blend for another 15 seconds.
• Add the soba noodles to the boiling water, and cook until the noodles no longer have a hard, chalky bite but are still springy, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain the noodles in a colander, and run them under cold water to stop the cooking quickly. When the noodles are completely cool, shake the colander vigorously to remove as much water as possible (if the noodles are too wet, they will dilute the dressing).
• Divide the noodles among four bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the noodles (use all of the dressing, as the noodles will soak it up). Top with the corn, watercress, tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers. Toss before eating.

WASABI DRESSING AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH CUCUMBER

Steps:

• If watercress comes with long stems rather than in sprigs, cut them in half or into three pieces so that they can be picked up more easily.
• Cut the cucumber vertically to quarters into sticks. Then cut each stick to 2cm pieces perpendicular to the first cut.
• Add watercress and cucumber pieces to a bowl.
• Add the Wasabi Dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake well until sugar is dissolved and there are no lumps of wasabi paste.
• Add the dressing to the bowl of vegetables and dress well.
• Transfer to a serving bowl.

ASIAN SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Place ingredients in a jar and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Adjust saltiness with salt and sweetness with sugar to taste.
• Keep for up to 3 weeks, in the fridge (to be safe). Bring to room temp and shake well before use.
• Single serving batch is enough for 3 - 4 cups of shredded cabbage / leafy greens i.e. a side salad for 4 people.
• Big batch - my rule of thumb for how much dressing to use is generally 1 tbsp of dressing per 1 packed cup of shredded vegetables and 2 tsp per handful of leafy greens.

AVOCADO AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Stir together vinegar, onion, apple, soy sauce, and sugar until sugar has dissolved, then stir in oil.
• Just before serving, toss watercress with enough dressing to coat. Quarter, pit, and peel avocado, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Gently toss with watercress.

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH SOY-SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Trim the stalks from the watercress. Wash and spin dry the leaves. Rinse the endive and slice it lengthwise into thin slivers. Place the endive in a salad bowl with the watercress.
• Remove the pith from the orange segments and cut them into small pieces.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic with the soy sauce, the vinegar and the sesame and olive oils. Crush the garlic into the dressing with a fork, and then remove it. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss the salad in the dressing and serve.

EASY TOFU SALAD WITH TUNA AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Layer the bean sprouts, tofu, tuna, watercress, tomatoes, and Japanese pickled radish in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside. Place the onion in a bowl.
• Heat the garlic in the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat until garlic is browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic slices, then pour the hot oil over the onion. Stir in the soy sauce and pour dressing over the salad.

WATERCRESS AND TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Drain tofu on paper towels in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• After tofu is drained, cut into 1" blocks.
• Heat pot of lightly salted water.
• Cut 2 inches off bottom of watercress and discard.
• Cut watercress into 3" pieces.
• When water comes to boil, add cut watercress and parboil for 30 seconds.
• Drain and cool in ice bath.
• Meanwhile, make Oriental Salad Dressing: Combine all other ingredients - soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds and blend.
• Arrange drained and cooled watercress on a platter with tofu, tomato, and fish.
• Drizzle with Oriental Salad Dressing at time of serving.

ASIAN PEAR AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Prepare salad:
• Peel pear and cut into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick julienne, then transfer to a bowl.
• Combine watercress and pear in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Divide among plates, then drizzle with some dressing and sprinkle with carrot.