Food Family Lifestyle Beauty Sustainability Health Immunity

Pea and Radish Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

Name: Pea and Radish Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing
Ingredients: 2 cups (500 mL) snap peas; 2 cups (500 mL) sliced radishes; 1 tsp (5 mL) white miso paste; 1 tsp (5 mL) tahini; 1 tsp (5 mL) tamari or low-sodium soy sauce; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice wine vinegar; 1/4 tsp (1 mL) honey; 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped chives; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh mint; 1 tsp (5 mL) black sesame seeds

Serves 2.

Helena McMurdo

Updated Aug 08, 2023

In this fresh spring salad, spicy radishes and crisp snap peas work together perfectly with a miso tahini dressing that dishes plenty of umami flavour. Full of colour, not only is this salad appealing to the eye, but its fresh crunchy texture and bright flavours will keep you coming back for more.

Sustainability cred

Organic peas and radishes can be grown sustainably without soil-depleting fertilizers. Peas fix nitrogen in the soil, and radishes can aerate soil. That means that, when rotated correctly, radishes can enhance soil health. The way we choose to eat these vegetables can also have an impact on reducing food waste.

Radish tops rule!

Don’t let radish tops languish in the fridge. Radish leaves can be blitzed into a spicy pesto with nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of Parmesan.

Endless versatility

After you’ve tried out a pesto, try wilting peppery-flavoured radish tops in a stir-fry. Likewise, young pea shoots and young leaves are also edible. Eating these vegetables when they’re in season means they take fewer resources to produce and, if sourced locally, can contribute to local economies.

Pea and Radish Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

2 cups (500 mL) snap peas
2 cups (500 mL) sliced radishes
1 tsp (5 mL) white miso paste
1 tsp (5 mL) tahini
1 tsp (5 mL) tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp (1 mL) honey
1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh mint
1 tsp (5 mL) black sesame seeds

Nutrition

Per serving:

calories134
protein6 g
total fat5 g
- sat. fat1 g
total carbohydrates17 g
- sugars3 g
- fibre7 g
sodium307 mg

Directions

01

Trim peas and slice lengthwise through centre of the pod. Add to large bowl with sliced radishes.

02

For dressing, in small bowl, mix miso paste, tahini, tamari, vinegar, honey, and sesame oil.

03

Pour dressing over pea and radish mixture and combine. Sprinkle with chives and mint and toss. Tip salad into serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Helena McMurdo

Helena McMurdo is a writer, food stylist, and photographer based in Vancouver. helenamcmurdo.com

READ THIS NEXT

Food

Warming Winter Chocolate Bark

A tribute to the bounty and beauty of nature, this chocolate bark is studded with nuts, seeds, and berries and flavoured with the warming spices of ginger and cinnamon. Adding sweet paprika and chili also gives an interesting kick to a winter favourite. Cut back on the red pepper flakes if you prefer a less spicy version. Chocolate contains tryptophan—an essential amino acid—that helps our brain produce serotonin. Eating chocolate is a delicious way to get a mood boost, which can help lift our spirits when sunlight levels are low. Food of the Gods In the taxonomy of plants, the cacao plant, from which chocolate is derived, is called Theobroma cacao. Theobroma comes from Greek for “food of the gods.” Cacao comes from the Mayan word for the plant.

Food

Sockeye Salmon Steamed in Parchment with Juniper, Orange, and Rosemary

Up your omega-3 intake with these easy-to-make salmon parchment pockets. The sockeye fillets are first rubbed with a marinade of juniper berries, citrus zest, and garlic before being enclosed in parchment. Juniper has a strong and piney flavour and lends a unique tang to this dish. It also contains antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. Be sure to capture the juices that arise during steaming. No mortar and pestle? Crush juniper berries by laying them between two sheets of parchment and bashing them gently with a rolling pin.

Food

Warm Escarole Salad with Broiled Radishes, Cranberries, and Almonds

Escarole is a bitter green that stands up to heat and is suitable for grilling, braising, or using in soups. In this salad, it’s broiled with radishes before being dressed in a sweet, garlicky dressing that cuts the bitterness. Escarole is high in folate (vitamin B9), important in red blood cell formation, and vitamin A, important in immune function and eye health. Like kale and other cruciferous vegetables, it’s also very high in vitamin K, which assists in blood clotting. Bitter green substitutes If you can’t find escarole, use frisée (also called curly endive), mustard greens, or radicchio. Romaine also stands up to heat well and makes a good substitute, but it lacks the characteristic bitterness of the others.

Food

Tamari Roasted Kabocha Squash with Ginger and Chili

In Japan, it’s a custom to eat kabocha squash on the day of the winter solstice as a symbol of good health. In fact, kabocha squash contains cancer-fighting antioxidants such as beta carotene and lutein. It’s also full of fibre and vitamins A and C. We’ve made a roasted version dressed in a sweet and tangy marinade that’s sprinkled with sesame seeds before roasting in the oven. The remaining marinade, full of ginger, tamari, and red pepper flakes, is used as a dressing to further flavour the squash. Know your squash You’ll recognize kabocha squash by its dark green rind and round shape. Its yellowish-orange flesh is sweeter than other types and has been likened to a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin. The rind is quite hard but is edible when cooked. Wash squash well and take care while cutting. You can microwave the whole squash for 4 to 5 minutes prior to cutting to help soften the rind and make things a bit easier.