Spicy Asian Salad

Enjoy this quick and easy spicy Asian salad recipe with a tangy, spicy Asian vinaigrette with a few simple ingredients. You will love the flavors bathed in the spicy Asian salad dressing.

Whenever we eat at my favorite Asian restaurants, I always order a spicy Asian salad. I adore the simple ingredients bathed in the spicy Asian salad dressing. So, I planned an Asian dinner this evening, and I decided to make my own version of a spicy Asian salad recipe with homemade Asian vinaigrette. Of course, my Asian salad dressing is oil-free as well. 

Spicy Asian Salad Ingredients

As I said, the ingredients are pretty simple, and the combination of flavors with the spicy Asian dressing is the key to this delicious Asian salad recipe.

• Romaine Lettuce: I love the crispness of the Romaine lettuce, and the lettuce holds up well to being dressed in advance without getting soggy.
• English Cucumber: English cucumbers have less water than traditional cucumbers. This prevents the salad from getting soggy.
• Carrots: The carrots are shredded into bite-sized pieces. Carrots add a sweet component that compliments the spicy counterpart of the salad.
• Green Onions (Scallions): I included the white and parts of the green sections of the green onions.
• Seaweed: I crumbled a seaweed sheet to add flavor and texture to the Spicy Asian salad recipe.
• Sesame Seeds: The sesame seeds are added after the salad is dressed as garnish. This ingredient is optional.

Spicy Asian Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose hearty greens such as kale or collard greens. If using dense greens, like spinach, do not dress the salad until ready to serve.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers, with fewer seeds than other cucumbers.
• Any parsnips substitute carrots.
• Spring onions are similar to green onions.
• Wakame is similar to another seaweed called Alaria, which is a good substitute.
• Skip the sesame seeds if desired.

Spicy Asian Salad Dressing Ingredients

Next, the spicy Asian salad dressing is the hidden gem of this Asian salad recipe. Although most Asian restaurants use sesame oil in their dressing, I skipped the oil and created my own spicy Asian dressing recipe. 

Like the salad, the dressing ingredients are simple and don't require a blender. 

• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar has a sweet, acidic taste similar to other types of vinegar, like apple cider vinegar. Unlike rice wine, rice vinegar is usually only used in small quantities. Due to their significant flavor differences, swapping one for the other is not recommended.
• Soy Sauce: I used low-sodium soy sauce which adds an umami flavor to the salad dressing.
• Freshly Grated Ginger: Fresh ginger has a sweet and bold flavor that enhances the flavors in the dressing.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is recommended for the best flavor.
• Water: The water dilutes the dressing and acts as an emulsifier.
• Sriracha: Sriracha is the "spicy" to a spicy Asian salad, but begins with a smaller amount than indicated in the recipe. You can always add more, but can't remove it once it's added.

Spicy Asian Salad Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Champagne is the closest to rice vinegar in terms of a substitute.
• Tamari or liquid aminos substitute soy sauce as a gluten-free option for soy sauce.
• Converting fresh ginger to ground ginger and vice versa is easy. You'll need to use more because ground ginger is more concentrated. For every ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, use 1 tablespoon of fresh-grated ginger in recipes. This works in the opposite direction as well.
• Granulated garlic: Use ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic in place of each clove. Garlic powder: Use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each clove. Garlic salt: Use ½ teaspoon of garlic salt in place of each clove. This will add an extra ⅜ teaspoon of salt, so decrease the salt in your recipe accordingly.
• If you don't have or like Sriracha, try gochujang spicy miso sauce.

The dressing goes a long way, so dressing the entire salad only requires a small amount. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Wait to toss the salad with the dressing before serving 
• Begin with a smaller amount of Sriracha in the dressing if you are sensitive to spice. You can always add spice, but you can't take it away. 
• Add other vegetables like purple cabbage or white cabbage for an added crunch. 
• If eating this salad as an entree, add Tofu with Peanut Sauce or another favorite tofu recipe. 
• Or, choose to add diced avocado. 
• I made my General Tso Cauliflower for dinner tonight, which tasted fabulous with this salad.

So, the next time you crave Asian food at home, give this spicy Asian salad a try. 

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