I created this on the fly with whatever I had in the fridge at the time. My family and friends loved it so much that I’ve been making it for years.
If you prefer your vegetables cooked rather than a typical raw leafy salad, this one is for you. You’re not limited to the vegetables listed here. I haven’t personally tried asparagus, baby corn, or Brussels sprouts, but I think they’d work too.
Best of all, this salad requires very little cooking skill. Steam, blanch, or grill the vegetables until done, toss them with a store-bought wafu dressing, and mix. Definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Crunchy and Tangy Wafu Salad
Warm vegetables tossed in a savoury wafu dressing, with crunchy senbei and vinegared octopus or squid
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 150 g broccoli see notes
- 150 g cauliflower see notes
- ½ carrot
- 20 g vinegared octopus or squid see notes
- 4-8 pcs Japanese rice crackers see notes
Wafu Dressing
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin optional
- 1 tbsp regular olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp grated onion and/or minced garlic
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Combine all the wafu dressing ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
- Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets.
- Cut the carrot in half lengthwise, then slice it thinly.
- If you're using cabbage, roughly cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Cooking - Steaming
- Add the vegetables to the steamer only once the water is boiling.
- Steam for around 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the residual heat continue cooking the vegetables. Adjust the cooking time according to the vegetable you are using. For example, cabbage cooks faster, so reduce the steaming time by 1–2 minutes.
Cooking - Blanching
- Blanch in boiling water for around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the residual heat continue cooking the vegetables. Adjust the cooking time according to the vegetable you are using. For example, cabbage cooks faster, so reduce the steaming time by 1–2 minutes.
Cooking - Charcoal Grilling
- Ensure the charcoal is ready before placing the vegetable on the grill. Look for a light grey ash coating on the surface, with a red-orange glow underneath and little to no open flames or thick smoke.
- Grill for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Use your judgement as you grill. If you are grilling broccoli and cauliflower florets, the cooking time will be shorter.
Finishing
- Add the dressing and vinegared octopus or squid. Mix well.
- Break the rice crackers into bite-size pieces. If you are using individually wrapped rice crackers, gently crush them into smaller pieces while still in the packet.
- Add the rice crackers just before serving, so it stays crunchy.
Notes
- Choice of vegetables: You can swap the broccoli and cauliflower for Japanese cabbage. Purple cabbage or sugarloaf cabbage work too.
- Wafu dressing: If it's a hassle to make your own dressing, store-bought ones work fine. I'd recommend Kewpie Japanese Soy and Sesame Dressing or Kenko Onion Dressing.
- Where to get vinegared octopus or squid: I usually get mine from Japanese supermarkets such as Don Don Donki (known as Don Quijote in Japan), Isetan, or MEDI-YA.
- Japanese rice crackers: I personally prefer using Amanoya's Kabukiage Rice Cracker 天乃屋歌舞伎揚 for the taste and texture.
