Pressed Salad
We’ve been eating this for sixteen years. I don’t remember where i got the original recipe, but i think it was probably from one of the macrobiotic books i had at the time. It has evolved since then. Pressed Salad is a common Japanese dish. There are presses you can buy to press the salad. I use a bowl with a small plate on top, and all my iron skillets on top of that. The salad needs to sit awhile, and is pretty good after a day, better after two days, and good for another day or two. The onion flavor really transforms. It sounds like a lot of vegetables, but after pressing or squeezing, it makes about four cups, or four servings.
Pressed Salad
makes about 4 – 1 c.servings
preparation time if using a food processor – about 30 minutes
1/2 cabbage – about 6 c. grated (red makes a nice contrast with the carrots)
4 large carrots – about 3 c. grated
4 inch piece of large daikon radish or 20 red radishes – about 2 c. grated
1 small onion, preferably red, minced – about 1 c.
1 1/2 t. salt
Grate the cabbage, carrots, and radish – a food processor with a shredding blade really makes this go fast! Mince the onion. Put all the vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix well.
Press with heavy object or objects for one hour or more. Pour off the juice, and with it will go a lot of the salt. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Variation: add 8 cloves pressed or minced garlic before pressing.
Nutritional information- not guaranteed to be accurate:
per serving – 87 calories/2.6 g protein/.6 g fat