Juicy blueberries meet crispy broccoli, soft aubergine, fresh cucumber and tender sweet potato. Ready for a fancy summer salad? Vibrant greens, deep blues and bright orange – all tied together by a rich miso dressing.
If you’ve never heard of miso, you’re about to discover a treat. Miso is a Japanese seasoning, usually available as a paste. Traditionally, it’s the product of a fermentation process of soy beans, salt and koji mushroom cultures. Additionally, rice, barley or seaweed can be part of the ingredients and add another layer to that particular umami flavour. Umami describes the savoury taste of broth, fermented food and is often also related to mushrooms or that meaty taste – without actually having meat on your plate. A little miso goes a long way due to its saltiness, but in moderation, it’s super good for you. The fermentation process provides it with beneficial bacteria which are essential for our gut health. It’s also high in many vitamins and minerals and last but not least, is super delicious. Don’t be put off by the slightly out-there ingredients list of this salad: I promise there is high potential for it to become your new favourite dish for a barbecue party.
Veg
1/2 aubergine
1 sweet potato
1 small head of broccoli
1 small pak choi
1/2 cucumber
a handful of blueberries
Dressing
2 tbsp miso paste
1/2 lime, juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
sunflower seeds
Serves 1
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with some baking paper.
- Cut the aubergine into big chunks.
- Peel the sweet potato and cut into cubes, slightly smaller than the aubergine. Put the aubergine and sweet potato onto the lined tray.
- In a small bowl, mix the miso paste, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil and ground ginger until smooth.
- Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the aubergine and sweet potato and mix with your hands until everything is nicely coated.
- Bake for 30mins in the middle of your oven.
- Cut the broccoli into florets and tear the pak choi into seperate leaves.
- When the 30mins are up, add them to the baking tray and pour over the rest of the dressing. Mix all the veg together and evenly distribute on the tray.
- Bake for another 10mins and then take out the oven.
- Cut the cucumber into bite-sized slices.
- In a big bowl, mix the roasted miso veg with the cucumber and blueberries. The dressing will start to coat everything and the heat from the baked veggies will make the blueberries extra juicy.
- Serve in a bowl and sprinkle with some sunflower seeds. Enjoy while still warm!
Optional:
Not a fan of this combination of ingredients? Admittedly, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to mix broccoli and blueberries. I hope to give you some inspiration to try something new though. For me, a delicious salad balances colour, texture and flavour. Choose your carb (quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, etc.), add some interesting, colourful veggies to bulk it up and combine with berries, fresh fruit or dried fruits. Top with a crunchy element, such as roasted nuts, seeds, popcorn or croutons and drizzle with a flavourful dressing. There’s no right or wrong, be creative!
You bought some miso paste but no idea what else to do with it? Dissolve in some hot water and use it as a replacement for vegetable broth in soups or stews. I like to add it to my lentil bolognese or mushroom risotto. It’s also a super quick and easy marinade for tofu cubes and of course, great in salad dressings. Please keep in mind that miso is very salty and be careful with seasoning your dish any further – don’t forget the taste test!
Missing something red on the plate? Add some chilli! I love to sprinkle some chilli flakes on top right before serving. Alternatively, finely dice some fresh chilli and add it to the dressing before coating the veg.
