1 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced savoy or green cabbage
1 cup julienned carrots
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
½ cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
½ cup julienned snow peas
½ cup julienned green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 serrano chili, minced with or without seeds, depending on the level of heat you prefer
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons Mirin (in the Asian section of the market with the soy sauce – don’t skip or substitute this ingredient)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
For the Dressing:
In a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, ginger and garlic, lightly sauté until light brown, just enough to infuse the olive oil. Add brown sugar, soy sauce and Mirin. Saute for 5 minutes so that the sauce takes on a syrupy consistency and remove from heat. When cool, pour into a bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. If it is a bit too sweet for your taste, add juice of ½ lime. Put dressing in a glass jar, shake well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This recipe makes more than enough dressing for future use and keeps well.
Mix all vegetables, sesame seeds, cilantro and Serrano chili in a large bowl. Spoon dressing on top of the salad and toss…use dressing sparingly until coated and let sit about 5 minutes before serving, adding more if desired.