Recipes › Lettuce (Butterhead) › Butterhead Lettuce and Pea Shoot Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing
Butterhead Lettuce and Pea Shoot Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing
A light, vibrant Japanese-inspired salad that takes less than fifteen minutes from garden to table. The miso and ginger dressing has real depth and a pleasant funkiness that plays brilliantly against the mild, sweet butterhead leaves. Crispy sesame seeds and a scattering of radish make this feel like a considered dish rather than a simple salad.
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Ingredients
- 2 butterhead lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried, larger leaves torn
- 60 g pea shootsor use watercress
- 8 radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out, thinly sliced
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 tbsp white miso pasteensure gluten-free miso if required
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tbsp tamariuse gluten-free tamari to keep this gluten-free; regular soy sauce also works but the recipe will no longer be gluten-free
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp cold water
Contains: milk, sesame, soya, sulphites.
Method
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the miso paste, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, tamari, maple syrup and cold water until completely smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust — it should be savoury, a little sharp, and gently sweet.About 3 min
- Place the butterhead lettuce leaves and pea shoots in a large bowl. Add the sliced radishes, cucumber and spring onions.About 2 min
- Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and toss gently using your hands or salad servers to coat everything without bruising the soft leaves.About 2 min
- Transfer to a serving plate or shallow bowl. Drizzle over the remaining dressing, scatter generously with toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Tips
- White miso is milder and sweeter than red — if you only have red miso, use 1 tablespoon rather than 2 or the dressing will overpower the delicate lettuce.
- This dressing doubles up beautifully as a dipping sauce for crudités or a drizzle for cold soba noodles.
- If making ahead for a packed lunch, keep the dressing in a separate container and toss at the last moment.
Ring the changes
- Add 200g of firm silken tofu, cubed, for a more substantial vegan main.
- Scatter 30g of toasted flaked almonds over the top for added crunch — note this will add a nut allergen.
Keeping it
The dressed salad will not keep — the leaves will wilt within an hour. Store undressed leaves in a sealed bag in the fridge for up to 1 day. The dressing keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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