This 15-minute Miso Cucumber and Carrot Salad is the perfect quick dinner for weeknights, and you can top it with chickpeas, marinated tofu, or seared tuna to bulk it up.
Lately, I have been rushing, rushing, rushing around – weekend trips for a few weekends in a row, the housewarming party, guests in town, and recipe development where I can fit it in after work. I am ready for April, and being home on the weekends tending to our garden we’re getting together (and hopefully chickens!).
It’s no surprise when this rushing attitude catches up with me, like photographing this Miso Cucumber and Carrot Salad – which took me an hour to get together for photos instead of the 15 minutes it should take. As I sliced my cucumber on my mandoline… a chunk of my pinkie went with it. Eek!!
I spent 30 minutes searching the house for band-aids while holding my arm in the air. Without success, I instead bandaged my finger in toilet paper and painters’ tape, and I continued with this recipe one-handed.
I hope I didn’t just ruin your appetite, because the flavors of this salad are fresh, light, and perfect for spring. Grab some miso paste and some pantry essentials and whip this up for a side salad or lunch on top of rice.
- 1 tablespoon mild yellow miso paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 large hothouse cucumber
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a bowl, combine yellow miso, warm water, honey, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Let it sit while you prepare the vegetables.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the seeds. Wipe the cucumber with a paper towel to soak up excess moisture.
- Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice your cucumber. I ended up with 3.5 cups of sliced cucumber. Use a paper towel to dab off additional moisture.
- Shred carrots if you didn't buy pre shredded, and thinly slice red onion.
- In a large bowl, combine sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, sliced red onion, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste (about ⅛ teaspoon of each for me).
- Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes so the flavors can absorb into the veggies, and then enjoy.
Cheers to Monday! While I usually am sad to make it to Monday, I have to say that I am content to be back in my own routine at home.
I know I’ll get my travel bug back soon, but in the meantime you can find me sweet talking my radish plants from seed to sprout!
Marisa
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
Oh no! Your poor pinky!! Mandolins scare the crap out of me for that exact reason. But good job coming up with a homemade band-aid and finishing the recipe! lol
This looks so light and refreshing! Perfect for a healthy lunch after a weekend full of candy and desserts.
Marisa says
I think I need to buy a new one with a safety component, since this always happens!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Besides this salad looking and sounding delicious 1) YOUR POOR PINKY–ouch. 2) You’re getting chickens?!!! My mind is baffled in an “omg that’s so cool” kinda way.
Marisa says
Thanks for the pinky sympathy! The hope is to get chickens but right now we’re stuck on figuring out whether we want to buy or build the coop. And then we have to find the chickens! So much to learn but it’s going to be awesome!!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Ahh, this makes me wish that I liked cucumbers more!! I ADORE miso and love cooking with it!
Marisa says
You could definitely just do the cucumbers, or even raw zucchini noodles too!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
Mmmm…this looks delish. Great to have another recipe using miso paste. Whenever I buy it for a recipe I try to come up with different new ways to use it!
Marisa says
Agreed – that’s how this one was born 😀 I love it’s salty flavor!
Cassie @ Almost Getting it Together says
Love how fresh and clean this looks… definitely want to make soon with salmon or tofu!! I have DEFINITELY cut a finger then kept on with whatever I was doing in the name of a recipe/photoshoot… whoops.
Karan says
Nice Recipe. Will try it. Also, if you ever get a cut and can’t find a band-aid, you can wrap an onion peel on it. It’s anti-bacterial and will heal it right up. A trick i picked from a chef i once knew.
Marisa says
What an incredible tip! Thanks!