Fern Root Noodle Salad with Red Cabbage and Cucumber
2 min readFern root noodles, made from the starch of the common bracken fern, are purplish black in color and have a chewy texture when cooked; in packaged dried form, they resemble twigs. They are rarely available outside of China, though you may be able to find them in Asian markets located in predominately Asian communities. Black rice noodles, white rice noodles, cellophane noodles, or any noodles made from starch—sweet potato, tapioca, yam—can be substituted, as needed. Green cabbage can replace the red variety, if desired.
MAKES 3 TO 4 MAIN DISH OR 5 SIDE DISH SERVINGS
1 cup shredded red cabbage
3 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese hot oil
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (7-ounce) package fern root noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained, rinsed under cold running water until cooled, drained well
1 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), julienned
1⁄2 cup shredded carrots
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
In a medium saucepan, blanch the cabbage in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cooled; drain well.
In a large bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, hot oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper until well blended. Add the noodles and toss well to thoroughly coat. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to thoroughly combine. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or up to 1 day and serve chilled, or return to room temperature.
{PER SERVING} Calories 356 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 66g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 712mg
