Sushi-Inspired Salad on a Budget
A basic salad recipe with hints of sushi flavor, for fellow sushi-lovers.
Fellow sushi-obsessors will understand the struggle. My level of love for sushi comes nowhere close to the amount of money in my purse. My taste buds scream yes. My bank account says no.
In my perpetual quest to find sushi on a dime (that won’t give me food poisoning), I put together this easy salad for a quick lunch. No, it is not sushi. Its blasphemy. But it’s also the closest I’ve come to an authentic sushi taste using what I normally have on hand while keeping my budget relatively unharmed.
The Base
Regular white rice lacks the vinegary zing of sushi rice and has a cooking time unsuitable for a thrown-together lunch in a hurry. Plus, this is still a salad no matter how much I pretend it’s sushi, so I opted for sliced cabbage as a base. It adds substance and provides the satisfying crunch of a classic salad.
The Fillings
The recurring characters — cucumber and avocado — are a must-have in my book. The cucumber adds an indispensable freshness, lightening what would otherwise be a heavy meal. The avocado (shout out to my fellow millennials) contrasts that freshness and the cabbage crunch with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
I chose one final addition absent from authentic sushi — rocket. Let’s be honest: cabbage is tasty but can be boring. An extra crunch with a peppery bite was missing, and the rocket filled the position perfectly.
I used a julienne peeler to do the time-consuming cucumber chopping work, but you’re welcome to julienne by hand if you’re feeling fancy. Throw on a handful of rocket, and cube the avocado to use later.
The Star
Salmon? Seared tuna? Perhaps a tempura prawn? Ain’t nobody got money for that. I’ve glanced at the fresh seafood aisle in my supermarket once, maybe twice in my lifetime. A budget lunch is certainly not going to take me there for a third. I improvised with the most versatile protein around — chicken.
I know. Chicken and sushi do not belong in the same sentence, let alone the same recipe. However, if there is one protein I always have on hand, it’s chicken. In a dismal attempt to emulate a tempura prawn (and to take away the shame of using chicken in a quintessentially fishy dish), I chose crumbed chicken breast. Bake in the oven, slice, and place on the layer of the rocket.
The Toppings
This is where the previous horrors redeem themselves. I may not splurge on a fresh Tuna, or make the trip to catch one myself, but I do know the value of kewpie mayo. It is the most expensive item in the recipe, but an essential extravagance. Without kewpie mayo, this would just be a chicken-inspired salad or a salad-inspired salad. Boring.
Another integral component is pickled ginger (gari). Traditionally, gari is used as a palette cleanser, but we’re throwing it all together in this salad. Store-bought versions may be costly, but you can always pickle the ginger yourself. Gari completes the sushi inspiration, especially for those who can’t call a sushi meal complete without it (guilty).
Finally, I sprinkled over some sesame seeds and added a few dollops of sweet chili sauce. Personal preference and totally optional.
This is a regular salad recipe, dressed up in a ‘sushi’ salad costume. However, it gives me my sushi fix without breaking the bank and leaving me horribly in debt. Try it and see if you agree.
Sushi-inspired Salad Recipe
· 1 Handful cabbage, sliced
· 1/3 Cucumber, julienne
· 1 Handful rocket
· 1 crumbed chicken breast, baked
· Half an avocado, cubed
· Kewpie mayo
· Pickled ginger
· Sesame seeds
· Sweet chili sauce
· Optional soy sauce to serve
Instructions
1. Lay the cabbage first, covering the bottom of the plate.
2. Add the cucumber and rocket.
3. Slice the cooked chicken and lay on top of the cucumber-rocket base.
4. Cover the chicken with a layer of avocado and pickled ginger.
5. Add kewpie mayo and a few drops of sweet chili sauce.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Serve with a small bowl of soy sauce and chopsticks.
