Asian chopped salad

Asian chopped salad is fortified with savory tamari dressing, 5-spice roasted almonds, and roasted coconut for a tantalizing plant-based salad.

A fully loaded Asian-inspired salad is calling! If you have a yen for a salad with crispy veggies and ingredients with a variety of flavors and textures, it's here. And it's pure salad satisfaction as far as I'm concerned.

Beyond the savory bites of this salad, it's super-convenient because so most of it can be made a day or two beforehand. That means you can just prep the veggies, toss them with the rest of the ingredients, and be prepared to shout 'voila' and get to the fun part. That's eating it.

Let’s take this salad on in 4 parts, most of which can be made ahead of time.

The salad stuff

That's the kale, cabbage, adzuki beans, fresh red chili, mint, cilantro (coriander), and scallions. But this is a loaded salad, my friend,  so there are always additions and substitutions that can be made.

If you decide to jazz things up, consider that this is an Asian salad, so go for anything that you might toss in a stir fry. Consider shredded carrots, mung bean sprouts, Chinese pea pods, any color of sliced bell peppers, water chestnuts, small broccoli florets (raw or steamed), or small diced celery can rev things up or help clear out the vegetable crisper. If you aren't a kale person, you can substitute with spinach. You may want to serve that salad on the side as spinach can wilt if you end up with leftovers (ha!)

Want to get creative with the fresh herbs? Basil is a flavorful choice. It's also a substitution for those folks who aren't keen on cilantro.

The adzuki beans, Chinese firm brown beans, are one of my favorite salad beans. Grab these if you can find them – they are delish! The closest substitute is black beans. They are not quite the same, but you'll get that good fiber and protein to round out the nutrients. 

5-spice almonds

Roasted, spiced almonds make this salad a star. For this recipe, you can use raw almonds or blanched (skins off). The coating

is a sticky, sweet, spicy mixture of soy sauce, agave syrup (or another liquid sweetener such as maple syrup), and Chinese 5-spice powder.

What is Chinese 5-spice blend?

A traditional mix of cinnamon, fennel, star anise, Sichuan pepper, and cloves, Chinese 5-spice powder is an aromatic, spicy, and warming blend that brings the Asian to your almonds. Although you can easily make your own, I usually keep a store-bought jar in the spice cabinet. You don't need to wait for the occasional almond roast to use it. It adds depth of flavor to simple stir-fries or any dish that might benefit from some Chinese flavor influence.

The easiest way to get the almonds ready to roast is to use a container with a lid. Add the Agave syrup (or another liquid sweetener), tamari, and the Chinese 5-spice mixture. Give it a vigorous shake. Then add the almonds and do a little jig until the almond are well-coated.

A few items to note about baking the almonds

The almonds will get a bit sticky. I find it least messy to use a baking dish rather than a baking sheet. It can be tricky to toss the almonds as they bake, even if you line the baking tray with parchment paper. In my experience, the dish is easier to clean.

Set the oven to 325⁰ F (160⁰ C) and aim to roast the almonds for 15 – 18 minutes, but be advised, you'll want to adjust depending on how 'roasted' you want them. We tend to like our almonds a bit on the dark side with a deep, robust flavor. That's us – you may want something a bit more subtle. In that case, reduce the roasting time.

When you remove the almonds, they will still be sticky and a bit moist. Once you remove them from the oven, get them out of the baking dish a place them on a plate lined with a paper towel or baking paper. As they cool, they'll get dry and will firm up. After they cool a bit, break them apart if they stick together (and they usually do).

You can set the almonds aside or make them ahead. Store them in a sealed container and try not to eat them all before they get on the salad. Otherwise, you'll be making more. I know of this I speak, my friends.

Roasted coconut flakes

Coconut and a tray – it's that simple. These are not the 'bacon' flakes that are so great on our Caesar salad. These are no-frills, easy as-it-gets toasted coconut flakes.

It's best to use the larger flakes for this, although, as an option, you could use the smaller kind.

I usually opt to roast the coconut by itself at a higher temperature than the almonds; however, you can do both at the same time. The coconut will take about 8 minutes at 350⁰ F (160⁰ C), about 3 - 5 minutes at the 425⁰ listed in the instructions.

Be sure to toss the coconut after a minute of roasting to ensure that it doesn't burn. I usually use a baking tray lined with parchment paper so I can just remove it from a clean try and toss it into a bowl. This is something that can be done a day or two before you use them. 

4-ingredient tamari dressing

Bliss! I'll confess that I used to make this dressing using miso paste. Then I made a roasted sweet potato salad using almond butter. That settled that. I'm converted.

The almond butter makes this a rich, 'only need a little' dressing that clings to everything. It makes a delicious 'massage oil' for the kale. If that sounds strange, hear me out. If you add about ⅓ of the dressing to the chopped kale and leave it while you prep everything else, the kale will soften. It doesn't go limp, but the texture is more appealing. This also ensures that you get dressing with every bite. Now, that's my kind of salad. 

Of course, you can use miso paste in the same amount. Aim for the white miso with a bit of mellower flavor or go bolder depending on your taste preference. Another substitution is to grab the peanut butter. The flavor will not be quite the same, but it definitely suffices if that's what you have on hand.  

One advantage of using kale and cabbage is that if you actually happen to have salad leftover, it is still 'alive' the next day. The almonds may get a bit softer, but trust me, it's entirely edible, as in it will be entirely gone.

Final thoughts

It needs to be said that I adore this salad just as the recipe presents. All the substitutions or additions suggested are for you, the chief cook and consumer, to get creative should you be so inclined. Ideas to file away for the second or third time you make this (and there will be multiple times). I firmly believe that cooking should be all about you and what you love. If I can provide some foundations to guide you, clear the path so you can soar, then I'm accomplishing what I've set out. Helping you find creative, tasty ways to enjoy plant-based foods. Peace.

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