Mandarin, Napa, and Black Radish Salad – Entice your taste buds with this beautiful, spicy, and perfectly-balanced Asian salad!

I belong to a CSA, which involves purchasing a crop share in advance of the growing season. I then pick up my share weekly throughout the year. It always consists of a variety vegetables, some of which are familiar favorites, and some unusual items as well.

Last season I got a new vegetable from my CSA; Black Radishes. I’ve decided that it’s the sexiest vegetable I’ve cooked with recently. Really, you can’t go wrong with a black tux, or that little black dress. These radishes are dressed to the nines with their jet black skins.

Recently I stumbled across black radishes at Whole Foods. I love it when unusual produce finds its way into the grocery store. That means a large group of food lovers, like myself, get to share in the fun of trying something new!

I chose to use black radishes in this Mandarin and Napa cabbage salad for both flavor and aesthetic reasons. The black and white of the julienned radishes creates a lovely contrast against the mandarin oranges. They also add a zing to this sweet and fresh Asian salad that I know you’ll think is crazy sexy hot!

Mandarin, Napa, and Black Radish Salad

Yield: 2 servings*

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Entice your taste buds with this beautiful, spicy, and perfectly-balanced Asian salad!

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Ingredients

Salad

• 4 C napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 2/3 C black radishes, julienned (use less if you prefer your salad less spicy)
• 1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, well drained
• 3/4 C edamame, shelled (thawed if frozen)
• 1/2 C honey-roasted sliced almonds

Ginger Sesame Dressing

• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

1. To prepare the salad, chop your cabbage, julienne the black radishes, drain the mandarin oranges, and thaw the edamame (if frozen). Arrange the salad in 2 individual bowls, or in a large salad serving bowl. Create the base of the salad with napa cabbage, then sprinkle with edamame, mandarin oranges, black radish, and honey-roasted almonds in this order.
2. For the dressing, simply whisk together all of the ingredients. Serve on the side and add to taste.

Notes

*Creates 2 entree-sized salads, or 4 side salads

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