Sesame Dressing Salad
ごまドレッシングサラダ
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sesame dressing is a much-loved salad topping in Japan, and this is the simple, child-friendly version we serve in the preschool kitchen. The cabbage and cucumber are briefly boiled rather than served raw, which makes them soft enough for little mouths and is the standard practice in Japanese school lunch kitchens. The dressing is warmed for a moment to cook off the sharp edge of the vinegar, so even children who shy away from tangy flavors tend to clean their plates. A quick toast of the sesame seeds brings out a nutty aroma that makes the vegetables all the more inviting.
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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
- 30 gcabbage
- 22.5 gcucumber
- 22.5 gtomato
Seasonings
- 2.6 gvegetable oil
- 2.6 gvinegar
- 0.4 gsalt
- to tastepepper
- 1.5 gwhite sesame seeds
Directions
- 1
Cut the cabbage and cucumber into short, thin strips. Boil each separately, then rinse under running water to cool.
- 2
Blanch the tomato in hot water to peel it, then cut into 1 cm dice. Cut tomato releases liquid, so keep it in a strainer until you are ready to combine everything.
- 3
Combine the dressing ingredients (vegetable oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper) and heat to cook off the sharpness of the vinegar. Toast the white sesame seeds (optional).
- 4
Squeeze the cabbage and cucumber from step 1 to remove excess water, then toss with the tomato from step 2 and the dressing and sesame seeds from step 3.
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 | 46.5 kcal | 93 kcal | 46.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 3.3 g | 6.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.6 g | 7.2 g | 3.6 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 37.5 mg | 75 mg | 37.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 156 mg | 312 mg | 156 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 46.5 kcal | 1 g | 3.3 g | 3.6 g | 1.4 g | 0.3 g | 37.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 156 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 93 kcal | 2.1 g | 6.6 g | 7.2 g | 2.7 g | 0.6 g | 75 mg | 0.6 mg | 312 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.
