A Salad Meant Just For Summer
Days are getting longer and warmer. The sun, at its zenith around midday, can be brutal on some days. It is almost guaranteed to be awfully unbearable by the time July and August come around in North Texas. The Dog Days of Summer – they call it that for a reason. These are days meant for lazing by the pool with a cold beverage in hand, admiring all the hard work you put into your backyard during the cooler months. That cold beverage in hand….ummm….I am fancying a white sangria with my favorite stone fruits at the bottom.
I am also fancying something Crunchy, Refreshing, Chilled. Something Different from the run-of-the-mill green salad. A RAINBOW in my bowl.
Jicama Salad
Enter the Tangy-ly Spicy-Sweet Jicama Salad. This colorful dish packs a bit of heat. It is a bit tangy, bit sweet and a tad salty. It has a hint of bitterness too. All perfectly paired to go with that cold beverage I just mentioned. The mix of firmly ripe mango (another seasonal fruit available in plenty in the summers) adds the subtle hints of sweetness. This may render the need to eat a sugary dessert at the end of the meal quite redundant. Red bell peppers never fail to come through – in taste, looks and nutrition. The other players in this well-staged act: onions, lemon juice and cilantro totally round up the feeling of happiness. There’s just nothing that can go wrong with this salad. It is just that type of dish.
The beauty of this salad is that it incorporates the 6 tastes of Ayurvedic wisdom of nutrition: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent. I don’t encounter that mix too often in non-Asian cuisine.
How to Pick Jicama?
When scouting out jicama at the supermarket, look for firm, round tubers. Store them in a cool, dark place for up to four weeks, and in the refrigerator when cut. Don’t store for too long, or the starch will convert to sugar. Wash them just like potatoes. Slice off the top and bottom to create a flat surface, and then remove the peel in facets with a sturdy paring knife. Yes, you need to peel a jicama’s thick, papery skin, but please do not peel jicama skin with a vegetable peeler! A chef’s knife will give you much better (and safer) results.
Jicama (hi-ka-ma) may be one of the crunchiest, juiciest and highly fibrous tubers that you may be missing out on. If you’ve never had jicama, this is a tuber with Mexican origins. Except for the root, the rest of the plant is poisonous. The root’s exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles raw pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of apples or raw green beans, and it is usually eaten raw, or very lightly grilled – in salads, soups and stir-fries.
What to Pair Jicama Salad With?
Jicama Salad is a perfect accompaniment to Mexican food dishes. If you are serving the salad on its own, you may want to add a little olive oil or some cubed avocado to the salad so it is balanced in and of itself. If you choose to serve this with a Mexican (see our recipe for Mexican Rice and Guacamole) or Asian (how about a Thai Curry Vegetable Soup or perhaps a Stir Fry of Veggies and Sprouts?), then there is sufficient fat in the main dish to balance the acidity in the salad. A benefit of the salad is that it brings balance to these types of dishes.
Do you love eay-to-put-together sides and salads? Then check out a few of our favorites:
- Zesty Carrot-Garbanzo Usli
- Balsamic Caprese
- Spicy, Tangy, Sprouts & Carrot Salad
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Baba Ghanoush
- Spiced Purple Sweet Potato-Cauliflower Bake
- Pesarattu Kura
- Hummus
- Guacamole
- Baked Okra
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Carrot Cucumber Kosumbari Salad
- Summer Quinoa Salad
- Air Fryer Masala Wada
- Tabbouli/Tabbouleh (Parsley Salad)
The most interesting health benefit related to jicama is the inulin. Studies have shown that inulin can protect against osteoarthritis, and have a positive impact on colorectal cancer, especially when eaten during its early stages. Studies are increasing on this root veggie that has until recently been quite overlooked. So if you haven’t experienced jicama in your dining repertoire, you have everything to gain – and if you’re actually hoping to lose, this might be your new favorite.
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Tangy-ly Spicy-Sweet Jicama Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Jicama - Peeled, sliced thinly
- 1/2 Cup Red Bell Peppers - Sliced thinly
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Red, Fine cut
- 3/4 Cup Ripe Mango - Peeled, sliced into small cubes
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro - Finely chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice - Vary per taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Vary per taste; Cayenne works best
Instructions
- Slice off the top and bottom of the jicama to create a flat surface, and then remove the peel in facets with a sturdy paring knife and cut into long matchsticks. Don't use a vegetable peeler.
- Cut red bell pepper into long pieces. Chop red onion and cilantro finely. Peel and cut mango into 1" cubes. Toss jicama, red pepper, mango, red onion and cilantro together in a large bowl.
- Stir in salt and lemon juice (lime juice works fine too), cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Serve cold.
