Colorful, bright, spicy, sweet, vibrant, delicious…I can’t even make up my mind about what adjectives to use for this gorgeous Bánh mì Salad with Sriracha Vinaigrette from Heather Christo’s new book Pure Delicious! All I know, is that I can’t get enough and I just keep going back for more of this one.
I am what you would call a cookbook connoisseur. I travel with them, take them to the pool and I even keep one by my bed for late night reading. (I know, I know – I’m a total food nerd!) Most cookbooks that I come across are pretty predictable reads and to be perfectly honest at least 1/2 of them never even make their way back into my kitchen to actually cook from. This one is different though, I literally have never had a harder time deciding what to make first! Heather’s recipes are not only innovative, but her story about her family’s road to recovery from being diagnosed with multiple food allergies is one that I can completely relate too.
Heather really poured her heart and soul into this cookbook and it shows! Her passion for each recipe came through with each page I turned. In a world that is inundated with new cookbooks hitting store shelves almost every day this one is a clear stand out and worthy of a permanent place on your cookbook shelf.
Bánh mì Salad with Sriracha Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 3 mins
- Total Time: 28 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced, with seeds
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated beet sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Sriracha Vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Kosher salt
Salad
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cups cooked Adzuki beans, optional
- 1 cup carrot ribbons (made with a peeler)
- 1 cup thin bell pepper strips
- 1 Persian cucumber, sliced thin, optional
Instructions
Make the pickled onions
- Place the onion and jalapeño slices in a heatproof medium bowl.
- In a small pot combine the vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion and jalapeño slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 25 minutes. (These can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)
Make the Sriracha Vinaigrette
- In a blender, combine the garlic, Sriracha, vinegar, vegetable oil and honey. Puree until smooth and then season with salt. Set aside.
Build the salad
- In a large bowl or on a platter combine the mixed greens, mint and cilantro. Top with the Adzuki beans, carrot ribbons, bell pepper strips and cucumber slices. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette an toss until well coated and combined. Serve immediately.
My husband said he wanted to drink the dressing and sort of did. This was so good. The herbs and thinly sliced veggies were so refreshing I felt like I could eat a giant bowl of this salad every day for lunch and dinner. We didn’t have beans but when I make this again, probably tomorrow, I will add those. So good!!!!!
★★★★★
Yay Jen!! You just made my day! I am so glad you both liked it so much. This salad is one of our favorites 🙂