Kelp noodles are made from brown seaweed (the same one as kombu, which is a key ingredient of dashi, the Japanese broth). They are an elastic, slightly crunchy pasta shaped food that is rich in minerals and is very low in carbohydrates and needs no cooking. It’s very neutral in flavor, and absorbs dressings nicely. It’s notable for its high iodine content (please note that if you have any thyroid related issues, you might want to stay away from it), but you could substitute it for zoodles or other spiralized vegetables, miracle noodles, cooked rice noodles or even cooked soba or pasta.
The sauce is based on the typical carrot-ginger salad dressing of Japanese restaurants, but uses raw turnips instead, a trick I discovered when I was out of carrots. You can prepare it a few days in advance; the more it marinates, the better.
Kelp and Jicama Noodle Salad with Turmeric-Turnip Dressing
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium parsnips peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger peeled
- 1 inch piece fresh turmeric peeled, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup white or mellow miso paste preferably organic
- 1/3 cup tahini 5 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw honey plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 12 oz. package kelp noodles
- 1 jicama peeled and spiralized or julienned
- 1 daikon radish spiralized, or sliced radishes
- Fresh herbs such as cilantro parsley or basil, optional
- Chile flakes optional
- Black or white sesame optional
Instructions
- Place all the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or a power blender and puree until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning, and add more vinegar, honey or miso, if needed.
- Rinse the kelp noodles in fresh water (don’t skip this step!), drain them and if desired, cut them with kitchen scissors into shorter pieces.
- Place noodles in a salad bowl or a glass container along with the jicama, and radishes. Add the dressing and mix well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Before serving, top with fresh herbs, chile flakes and/or sesame seeds, if using. Enjoy!
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