Monday, September 21, 2009

Mexican Street Salad

This is my new favorite food.

Nancy, shared the link for Mexican Street Salad from Jamie Oliver, when I sent out a tweet asking for ideas for side dishes to take to a dinner at my MIL's.

She said she was going to make it that night and I have to admit, after looking at the beautiful picture of all the colors and veggies, I was intrigued.
I decided I was going to make it and take it as a side dish for this dinner.

Nancy told me that she and her husband enjoyed it but that it had a little bit too much heat for some of the other people that tried it.
When I made it, I decided to cut back on the jalapenos a little bit, so that it would be crowd/kid friendly.
It is made with white cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, radishes, cilantro (fresh coriander), jalapeno, red onion, and then dressed with lots of fresh lime juice, a little olive oil and sea salt.

Jamie also notes that whatever veggies are in season would be a great addition to this salad.
So, I added 1/2 of a finely diced green pepper, chopped fresh green beans, and the celery hearts with their leafy tops that I was saving for soup.
I also shredded my carrots, so they would be the same thickness as the cabbage. I used angel hair coleslaw mix, which comes in a bag by the lettuce, because it is very finely shredded and easy to use.
I left out the red onion to reduce the heat a little bit and added a sprinkle of garlic powder and cumin.

The fact that this takes literally minutes to throw together is wonderful, but it is also one of the most delicious things I have tasted. The simplicity of the lime juice/olive oil/ coarse salt dressing (kind of) just really brings out the great flavors of the cabbage and other veggies. The radishes add a nice touch of heat.
When I was mixing this up, I took a bite and was blown away. It was soo good.
I took it to the dinner, to share, and the kids, as well as adults, loved it.

I actually made a very large bowl of it saturday night and ate it for dinner while everyone else was eating pizza. I had some last night and will have some today too.
I know Nancy has made it again as well.
The great thing about it is that you can make it super spicy and hot if that is what you like, or you can hold back a little bit on the spice depending on how much jalapeno and red onion you use and totally make it great for whatever taste you prefer. And it is so fresh.
Did I mention I love it?

Recipe for Mexican Street Salad

One Year Ago-Edamame Soup with Feta Croutons and Shrimp or Chicken Summer Rolls with Honey-Lime Dipping Sauce

12 comments:

Me and My Pink Mixer said...

What a beautiful looking salad! Sounds delicious too - can't wait to try it.

Kayte said...

Okay, okay, I will cave as you two have been raving about this salad for literally days and sometimes this sort of pressure is just too hard to resist. It looks beautiful.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Your salad looks perfect! I love the green beans that are peeking out of the bowl along with all the other veggies. I'm going to add brussels sprouts (my husband likes them raw) and broccoli to my next batch, and I add lots of hot peppers and onion. I'm so glad you liked the recipe and that it was a hit at your gathering!

Unknown said...

So beautiful!!! It seriously is the best looking salad!

Eliana said...

This salad looks fantastic - the perfect side dish. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Oh, the famous Mexican Street Salad. It's so pretty. I love heat, so I think I would dig it.

Joyce said...

Wonderful colors!
Joyce

Marie Rayner said...

That looks fabulously delicious!!

Marisa said...

That is one gorgeous looking salad! I love the colours.

Meghan said...

Wow these colors are so fabulous! LOVE it!!!

Sarah said...

That really is a gorgeous salad. After reading so much about it between you and Nancy, I think I'm going to have to give it a try, it looks delicious!

Cathy said...

I read this post yesterday while sitting in the mechanic's waiting for my car to get fixed (what better way to start a rainy Monday than with a dead battery?) but I couldn't comment on it, and I've been thinking about this salad ever since. IT looks FABULOUS! I love how light and healthy it is, and I just love these flavors. And I totally trust your rave reviews! I can't wait to make this one!