BANH MI PANZANELLA SALAD

SERVES 4 PORTIONS

FOR THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGGIES

1 cup (235 ml) hot water

6 tbsp. (90 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp. (18 g) organic cane sugar

1 cup (130 g) julienned carrot

1 cup (88 g) julienned daikon radish

1 cup (135 g) julienned cucumber

FOR THE OYSTER MUSHROOMS

1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened nut-free non-dairy milk

1/2 cup (80 g) brown rice flour

1/2 tsp. salt

6 oz. (170 g) oyster mushrooms, broken into bite-size pieces

Cooking oil spray

FOR THE SALAD

2 cups (134 g) chopped kale, without stems

2 cups (150 g) shredded napa cabbage

1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup (4 g) chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup (24 g) chopped mint, without stems

1 French baguette (4 oz., or 115 g), cubed and lightly toasted (gluten-free, if necessary)

FOR THE DRESSING

1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar

1/4 cup (63 g) vegan hoisin sauce (gluten-free, if necessary)

2 tbsp.(28 ml) water

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Calories: 387kcal
Fat: 22.7g (0.2g S.Fat)
Carbs: 71.4g
Protein: 18.3g
Sugar: 9.6g
Sodium: 812mg

METHOD

TO MAKE THE QUICK-PICKLED VEGGIES
Stir together the hot water, apple cider vinegar, and sugar in a tall canning jar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the carrot, daikon, and cucumber to the jar, shake, and set aside for at least 30 minutes to marinate.

TO MAKE THE OYSTER MUSHROOMS
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Fill a shallow dish halfway with milk. In a separate shallow dish, sift together the rice flour and salt.

Dip the mushroom pieces in the non-dairy milk, allowing any excess to drip off, and then in the rice flour. Arrange the crusted pieces on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes after lightly spraying both sides of the mushrooms with cooking oil spray. Bake for an additional 10 minutes after flipping the pieces.

TO MAKE THE SALAD
Toss the kale, napa cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint, and bread cubes together in a large mixing bowl. Divide the mixture among four serving bowls and top with the pickled vegetables. After that, divide the oyster mushrooms evenly among the salads.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING
Whisk together the rice vinegar, hoisin, and water. Drizzle it over the salad tops and serve.

RECIPE NOTES

Though regular basil works well here, if you can find Thai basil at an Asian or farmers' market, give it a try. It has a distinct flavour and is commonly used in traditional banh mi sandwiches.

PANZANELLA – ITALIAN BREAD SALAD

SERVES 1 LARGE OR 2 SMALL PORTIONS

5 slices of French baguette

8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small cucumber

5 cherry tomatoes

2 green onions

3–4 sprigs of basil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

squeeze of lemon juice

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Calories: 791kcal
Fat: 58.3g (8.5g S.Fat)
Carbs: 62.3g
Protein: 13.1g
Sugar: 13.3g
Sodium: 540mg

METHOD

Preheat the oven to the highest setting. Place the baguette slices in a bowl and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Mix in 4 tbsp. of the oil with your hands.

Spread the bread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes in the centre of the oven, or until crisp (keep an eye on it, as you do not want it to burn). Allow to cool after removing from the oven.

In the meantime, cut the cucumber into bite-sized chunks. Cut the tomatoes in half. Trim the green onions and cut them into rings. Remove the basil leaves and shred them. Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, basil, and bread cubes.

To make the dressing, whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Transport the dressing and salad separately and, ideally, combine them 20 minutes before serving to allow the bread to absorb the dressing.