The weather has warmed up at my house. The sunshine makes me hungry for cool, crunchy salads, as if I’m warming up for cookout season. This tangy “slaw” did not disappoint. It was a great side next to my salmon dinner.
Jicama is a root vegetable also known as the Mexican yam. As you can tell by it’s name, it is most frequently found in Mexican cooking, although it can be seen in some Asian dishes, too. Jicama is naturally high in inulin, a soluble dietary fiber that is also a prebiotic. Inulin is often added to foods with extra fiber, like a Fiber One bar.
Jicama Slaw (Serves at least 6)
1 medium jicama, peeled and julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
1/2 fuji or gala apple, julienned
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or adobo chili powder (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon honey
1. Combine jicama, bell pepper, onion, carrots, apple, and cilantro in large bowl. Toss to combine.
2. Mix remaining ingredients for dressing. Pour over slaw. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information (Amount per serving)
Calories: 156
Protein: 1
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 112 mg
Recipe Notes: Try to cut your ingredients to be about the same size. The exception is if you use shredded carrots. I don’t want to take the time to shred mine. The sitting time is important for the vegetables to “marinate” in the dressing and soften a little. However, the carrots softened the least for me, so shredded would be the way to go if you don’t want super crunchy carrots. We did have this as leftovers the next day. It still tasted good, although the onion flavor had become very strong. If you are making this several hours ahead of eating, I would either soak the onions in some water first or just add them slightly before serving.
I know the fat looks high in the nutrition facts. You don’t end up eating all of the dressing, as there is some left in the bottom of the bowl. But you need that much at the beginning to coat the salad.
Source: adapted from browsing many recipes online
Low iodine adjustment: Use non-iodized salt.
Have any nutrition questions? Need help with meal planning or a special dietary need? Send your questions to me at kimberlykmarsh(at)gmail(dot)com, and I will answer them in upcoming posts!