Chinese-Style Asparagus Salad
アスパラの中華和え · Asupara no Chuka-ae
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Chuka-ae is a Japanese home-cooking staple: blanched vegetables tossed in a light, Chinese-inspired dressing of sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and a touch of sugar. Here spring asparagus and carrot get that treatment, and briefly heating the dressing softens the vinegar's sharpness so even young children enjoy the tangy-savory flavor. Cooling the vegetables under running water keeps them crisp and bright, and toasted sesame seeds add a nutty aroma that makes the greens easy to eat.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 22.5 gasparagus
- 11.3 gcarrot
Seasonings
- 0.8 gsugar
- 0.3 gsesame oil
- 0.8 gvinegar
- 0.9 gsoy sauce
- 0.5 gwhite sesame seeds
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot into short matchsticks. Peel the tough lower third of the asparagus stalks and cut them diagonally into 3 cm pieces.
- 2
Boil the carrot and asparagus separately, then rinse under cold running water to cool.
- 3
Combine the seasonings and heat them to cook off the sharpness of the vinegar. Toast the white sesame seeds (optional).
- 4
Drain the vegetables well and toss them with the dressing and sesame seeds.
Toasting the sesame seeds brings out a nutty aroma that makes the vegetables easier for children to eat. You can skip this step to save time.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 18 kcal | 36 kcal | 18 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 13.5 mg | 27 mg | 13.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 100.5 mg | 201 mg | 100.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 18 kcal | 0.9 g | 0.6 g | 2.8 g | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 13.5 mg | 0.2 mg | 100.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 36 kcal | 1.8 g | 1.2 g | 5.7 g | 1.5 g | 0.3 g | 27 mg | 0.3 mg | 201 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
