Sambal Almond Butter Kale & Cabbage Salad
If the idea of almond butter on a salad sounds wrong to you, think again. This salad has a bright pickled ginger dressing that melts into a spicy sambal almond butter, making a crispy rice & kale salad that always gives you the perfect bite.
Equipment
- 1 rice cooker or pot
- 1 chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain white rice
- 2-3 globe radishes thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons peeled ginger finely grated
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup drizzly almond butter
- 2 tablespoons raw almonds roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 4 cups lacinato kale finely chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups red cabbage
- 1/2 cup neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to package instructions and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the radishes, ginger, cilantro and mix with the sugar, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and the rice vinegar. Set aside to quickly pickle.
- In another small bowl, add the almond butter, the almonds, the remaining 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and the sambal oelek. Add the warm water and stir to create a sauce. Taste and season with more soy sauce or sambal as desired.
- Add the kale to the pickled ginger dressing bowl and toss, scrunching with your hands to massage the kale and break it down to half its size. When the kale is shrunken and softened, add the cabbage and toss.
- Portion the rice into 4 equal portions, either using cookie cutters to make large circles, or just portioning them with a damp hand. The goal is to have them no more than 1" thick. Add the neutral oil to a medium pan over medium heat. When the oil is at 300°F-350°F, add the rice and fry on each side for 4-6 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- To serve, swipe a healthy amount of the almond butter across the bottom of all four bowls. Pile the salad high on top, and crack the crispy rice over. Swirl everything together to eat.