Water chestnuts seem to be one of the most overlooked and underrated vegetables ever, and it’s rare that they feature as the star of a meal. The only time I ever see water chestnuts is when they are tossed into a stir fry. I’ve actually probably only eaten them a handful of times in my entire life, even though I know I love them. I bought a can of them recently to challenge myself to find a new way to enjoy them. I used canned because that’s what I have readily available to me, but feel free to use fresh if you can find it.
Because I associate water chestnuts with stir fry, I combined them with other veggies and flavors typically used in that dish. It was far too hot to cook over a stove, so I made a crunchy, cold salad tossed in sesame ginger dressing. This salad has a high water content and is almost completely raw, making it perfect to enjoy in the summer months. Water chestnuts have little to no flavor to them, so they absorb all of the flavors from the dressing. I used hot honey as my sweetener to give it a bit of spice, but you can use regular honey or even maple syrup if you want to keep it mild. This tastes best after it has had time to chill in the fridge to let the flavors infuse. Serve as is or enjoy it over some rice for a more filling meal.
Because I associate water chestnuts with stir fry, I combined them with other veggies and flavors typically used in that dish. It was far too hot to cook over a stove, so I made a crunchy, cold salad tossed in sesame ginger dressing. This salad has a high water content and is almost completely raw, making it perfect to enjoy in the summer months. Water chestnuts have little to no flavor to them, so they absorb all of the flavors from the dressing. I used hot honey as my sweetener to give it a bit of spice, but you can use regular honey or even maple syrup if you want to keep it mild. This tastes best after it has had time to chill in the fridge to let the flavors infuse. Serve as is or enjoy it over some rice for a more filling meal.
YIELDS
2–3 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- For the salad:
- 1 cup water chestnuts
- 1 cup snow peas, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, sliced
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup garlic scapes, diced
- handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup grape seed oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 tbsp hot honey
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 tbsp water
- To top:
- sesame seeds
Directions
1. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss together.
2. In a small whisking bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and let chill for about an hour before serving, for best results.
4. Top with sesame seeds and serve.
Also by Lauren: Asian Noodles With Carrot Ginger Sauce
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Photo: Lauren Sacerdote
