French Salad (Elementary School Portion)
【小学校】フレンチサラダ
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese elementary school lunch menu
"French salad" is a long-standing favorite on Japanese school lunch menus: crisp shredded cabbage and cucumber tossed in a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing, with canned mandarin oranges adding little bursts of sweetness that kids love. As in school kitchens, the vegetables are quickly blanched rather than served raw, which keeps everything safe to eat and gives the cabbage a softer, gentler bite. The dressing is briefly warmed in the microwave so the sugar and salt dissolve and the sharpness of the vinegar mellows, making it mild enough for young palates. Serve it well chilled alongside bread or a rice dish.
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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 elementary school, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 58.8 gcabbage
- 22.2 gcucumber
- 29.9 gcanned mandarin oranges
Seasonings
- 2.8 gvegetable oil
- 3.6 gvinegar
- 0.5 gsalt
- to tastepepper
- 0.3 gsugar
Directions
- 1
Cut the cabbage and cucumber into thin strips.
- 2
Boil the cabbage in boiling water for 2 minutes, then add the cucumber and boil for 1 more minute. Rinse under cold running water to cool.
- 3
Tip the canned mandarin oranges into a colander and drain off the syrup.
- 4
Combine the dressing ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave at 1200W for about 15 seconds (30 seconds at 600W). Let cool slightly.
- 5
Squeeze the vegetables from step 2 to remove excess water, then toss them with the mandarin oranges from step 3 and the dressing from step 4. Chill in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 65.4 kcal | 130.8 kcal | 65.4 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.9 g | 17.7 g | 8.9 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 32.1 mg | 64.2 mg | 32.1 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 179.7 mg | 359.4 mg | 179.7 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 65.4 kcal | 0.9 g | 3 g | 8.9 g | 1.4 g | 0.5 g | 32.1 mg | 0.3 mg | 179.7 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 130.8 kcal | 1.8 g | 6 g | 17.7 g | 2.7 g | 0.9 g | 64.2 mg | 0.6 mg | 359.4 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese elementary-school 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.
This is the elementary-school portion of French Salad (larger quantities, same method).
