They say Japan has the healthiest set of cuisines in the world and these japanese salads we will introduce will make you think about the wonders of eating healthy and living well. These dishes are eaten usually as a side dish or an appetizer.
Try these Healthy Japanese Salads!
“Ichi ju san sai” means one soup and three side dishes. It is believed that to have a balanced meal, there should be one soup, three vegetables plus a main dish of protein such as fish and rice. Try these healthy salads together with this belief when you’re in Japan or even at the comfort of your home.
1. Kinpira gobo
Kinpira gobo is a japanese salad made with cooked gobo or burdock root and carrot. Gobo root is sliced thinly horizontally then sauteed with mirin, sugar and soy sauce. The dish is commonly found in bento boxes or in teishoku. Gobo is a super healthy vegetable root, a powerhouse of antioxidants. It helps prevent inflammation, removes toxins from the bloodstream and helps in promoting blood circulation. Together with carrots, it is rich in vitamin A and beta carotene helping in reducing risk in diabetes.
2. Kiriboshi daikon
Kiriboshi daikon is another vegetable salad dish with dried daikon (radish), aburaage (sweetened and deep-fried tofu) carrots mixed with mirin, soy sauce, dashi, sugar and sake. The dried radish is extremely nutritious because it is packed with more vitamins and nutrients than the fresh daikon which contains high amounts of vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium, copper and potassium.
3. Cucumber Sunomono
The term sunomono can be many types of pickled japanese dish in vinegar and cucumber sunomono is the most popular. The cucumber is sliced thin, squeezed dry then added with rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. It is also coupled with kombu seaweed making the dish delicious, refreshing and light. Japanese cucumbers are rich in vitamins A, C, K, folic acid, silica and minerals containing antioxidants, low calories, and helping in stabilizing your blood pressure. Kombu is not only rich in umami taste but it is also nutritious containing vitamins A, C, iron, calcium and iodine which is important in supporting thyroid function.
4. Komatsuna Ohitashi
Ohitashi is a common dish that features blanched vegetables like komatsuna (japanese mustard greens), spinach, okra, and asparagus. The komatsuna is also added with mirin, dashi and soy sauce topped with bonito flakes. Komatsuna is a good source of health boosting antioxidants such as beta carotene that helps lower risks in diabetes and helps protect your skin. Moreover, it contains B vitamins like B1, B3, and B6 which helps strengthen your blood, supports kidney function and helps in healing wounds.
Conclusion
Japanese salads are diverse, mixed with different types of vegetables and added with lots of types of condiments packed with amazing health benefits. There are more recipes for salads as you discover more amazing cuisines in Japan. Which one of the salads interests you most? Let us know what you think of these japanese salads.
References:
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a28351053/health-benefits-of-cucumbers/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/daikon-radish#nutrition