Category Archives: Vegetarian

MISO CAESAR SALAD WITH CRISPY PANKO TOPPING

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Of all the salads I had ready to share on the blog for salad month, this one for Miso Caesar Salad with Crispy Panko Topping was by far our favorite.  It was inspired by one at a local restaurant and is crazy good, exploding with umami flavors.  (After Hurricane Beryl I considered calling it “Miso Sick of Gulf Coast Weather Salad,.”)

The base of the salad is little gem lettuces, which I’m usually able to find at Kroger:

I love their pretty little ombre green leaves:

I like to sprinkle a tablespoon or so of fried onions or shallots over the salad, which I buy at the Asian grocery store.  These are great to have on hand to add to your dishes for a little extra zhuzh:

The dressing is, of course, the key to this salad, but the crispy panko topping takes it next level.  If you don’t keep white miso on hand, I strongy suggest doing so — it lasts a long time in the refrigerator, and like Brylcreem, a little dab’ll do ya.


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MISO CAESAR SALAD WITH CRISPY PANKO TOPPING
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Ingredients
  • For the crispy panko topping:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • For the miso caesar dressing:
  • 2 oil-packed anchovies
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons miso paste
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • For the salad:
  • 3 heads little gem lettuce
  • ½ teaspoon white sesame seeds (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon prepared fried onions or shallots (optional)
Instructions
  1. To make the crispy panko topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook until the panko is browned and crispy, stirring constantly and taking care not to let it burn. Remove from heat, allow to cool briefly, then stir in red pepper flakes and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. To make the miso Caesar dressing:
  3. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the anchovies into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the grated garlic, mayonnaise, miso paste, lemon juice, and pepper, and whisk until smooth.
  4. To make the salad: Cut the bottoms (and tops, if necessary) off of the lettuces and separate the leaves. Add lettuce to a large shallow bowl. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the dressing over the lettuces and toss to combine (adjust the amount of dressing to your taste). Top with the crispy panko topping. Sprinkle sesame seeds and fried onions or shallots, if using, over top, and serve.

Lightly dressed and awaitng the topping

One of the best, and easily the most umami, salads I’ve ever made

 

 

LATIN STEAKHOUSE SALAD WITH CILANTRO JALAPENO DRESSING

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Recently we dined with friends at Churrascos, a Latin restaurant in Houston that’s been around since 1988.  The restaurant is famous for its signature churrasco — a center cut beef tenderloin, butterflied and char-grilled.  But the restaurant has many other delicious offerings, including the Churrascos Salad.  The dressing makes the salad — a zippy blend of jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic — which you might be tempted to eat with a spoon (I recall for a while in the 90s they used to sell the dressing in grocery stores as Amazon Dressing).  Top with a few grilled shrimp or chicken and call it dinner.

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LATIN STEAKHOUSE SALAD WITH CILANTRO JALAPENO DRESSING
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Ingredients
  • For the dressing:
  • ½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, seed and chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • For the salad (all amounts are approximate -- you do you):
  • 6 cups field greens
  • 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
  • 2 jarred hearts of palm, cut into ¼" slices
  • 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small seedless cucumber, halved and sliced into ¼" slices
  • 2 ounces cotija cheese or queso fresco
  • ½ cup fried tortilla strips (see note in instructions)
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, place in a serving container with a spoon or small ladle.
  2. To make the salad, place field greens, lettuce, hearts of palm, tomatoes, radishes, capers, red onion, and cucumber in a large bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over top, followed by tortilla strips. Serve with dressing on the side so that each person may dress their salad as desired.
  3. Note: If you don't have prepared tortilla strips, you can easily make them. Thinly slice 2 or 3 tortillas. Heat about ¾" vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the tortilla strips and fry, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining strips.

You might be tempted to just eat it with a spoon

Homemade tortilla strips, for when you can’t find where you put the bag you bought

Ready to get dressed and go outCool, creamy, zippy