I had never heard of jicama until recently when I saw it prepared and ready to eat as a snack at Trader Joe’s. It was cut into sticks like baby carrots and supposed to be eaten as is, so I grabbed some to try. The texture reminded me of an apple although this is actually a root vegetable, not a fruit. I thought it would have more of a sweet, bold flavor to it like beets and carrots, but it was kind of bland. Despite the fact that this veggie wasn’t bursting with flavor, it was extremely refreshing.
It seemed like after trying jicama for the first time, I started noticing it at every grocery store I stepped into. And then, without me mentioning anything, my dad brought one over to my house for me to try. There was a sticker on the front that said which flavors it was compatible with, including cilantro, lime, ginger, and garlic. I used these flavors to come up with a raw slaw that I stuffed into bibb lettuce and dipped into a garlic ginger soy sauce. By using tamari instead of soy sauce in this recipe, it keeps the meal gluten free.
YIELDS
about 4 cups slaw
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1 jicama, peeled and julienned
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 6-8 radishes, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 avocado, sliced
- to serve sprouts
- to serve bibb lettuce wraps
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1/4 teaspoon cane sugar
- pinch sesame seeds
- juice from 1/2 lime
Directions
1. Peel the jicama and cut it into thin slices using a julienne peeler or sharp knife. Add to a medium sized bowl.
2. Add the diced pineapple, sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cucumber.
3. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Top the bibb lettuce with sprouts, the slaw, and avocado slices. For the ginger garlic soy sauce:
1. Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the rice vinegar, tamari, sugar, and sesame seeds.
2. Add the diced pineapple, sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cucumber.
3. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Top the bibb lettuce with sprouts, the slaw, and avocado slices. For the ginger garlic soy sauce:
1. Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the rice vinegar, tamari, sugar, and sesame seeds.
Also by Lauren: Healthy Dinner: Tempeh Fish & Chips with Tartar
Related: Benefits of Jicama Plus Energizing Jicama Kiwi Smoothie
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