Easy Peasy Japanese-y Salad

This salad is a multi-tasker. You can make a big batch on a Sunday and not have to think about lunches for a few days. If you’re really pressed for time, grab a bag of ready-prepped coleslaw mix from the salad greens section of the supermarket. If you’re lucky they have carrot and beetroot mixed in.

Ingredients for one

• ½ cup cooked miso quinoa*
• ½ cup cos lettuce (sliced into thick rings)
• ½ cup mixed red & white cabbage (sliced) or coleslaw mix
• 1 carrot (grated)
• ¼ avocado (chopped)
• 1 small tin tuna
• Dried seaweed slices (available from the supermarket/health food store)
• 1 tsp white/black sesame seeds

Optional: Chilli powder or 1 tablespoon of fermented vegetables – Life in a Jar’s tumeric and ginger fermented vegetables are great in this.

Dressing

• 1 tsp Spiral mirin vinegar
• 1 tsp Spiral toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp EVO
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Method

*Miso Quinoa

Combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of miso paste. Cover and let sit for 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. When you see little tails appear it’s cooked.

Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be added to breakfast with eggs, in other salads or as a side for dinner.

Salad

Combine quinoa, vegetables and tuna in a bowl. Shake dressing ingredients together in a jar and pour over the top. Sprinkle with seaweed, sesame and chili to taste.

Hot tip: If you're making this in advance, keep the avocado and dressing separate until the day you’re eating it.