If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled ginger how many pickled gingers did Peter Piper pick?
This is the one English tongue twister that rolls of my tongue with ease. Well with peppers which I switched up for ginger. For this month’s Creative Cooking Crew challenge we were challenged to pickle something and then use our pickle in a recipe. Can you guess where I got this idea? Yes when I last ate sushi! I pickled my own ginger and then used it for my version of a Japanese salad: a Cucumber Carrot Ginger Salad.
There are tons of recipes for pickled ginger, Gari in Japanese, but I chose this one for ease and for a special trick to get the right color. A real pink hued pickled ginger will be made with young fresh ginger…not always the easiest thing to find. Many companies today use older ginger and put in an artificial dyes. I used a natural dye with a slice of beet. I put less in than the original recipe and I got a lovely soft pink color.
Pickled ginger is not just a condiment, it actually has several purposes. The ginger takes the role of a palate cleanser when served in between dishes or different foods on one plate. But initially pickled ginger was served to protect the digestion from bad fish since it acts as an antiseptic. Finally ginger is also a wonderful digestive aid for a troubled stomach.
[mpprecipe-recipe:421]
Thank you Lazaro Cooks and Foodalogue for this month’s fun challenge. Check out what the other members have created on our Pinterest board by clicking on the banner below.
What a delightful and quick salad, very fresh and zesty. I loved the flavorful bite I got from the ginger slices and sambal oelek. Get your vegetable peeler and make pretty strips with small cucumbers and a carrot for a modern and fun look. This salad goes perfectly with chicken, fish or seafood. I served my salad with a nice seared pink tuna steak. A great match.
Cucumber Carrot Ginger Salad
Ingredients
- 3 small cucumbers like a Kirby or Lebanese
- 1 large carrot
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 1/2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
- 1 tbs mirin
- 3/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sambal oelek
- dash of salt
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to slice cucumbers and carrot into ribbons. Place in a large bowl with the pickled ginger and bean sprouts.
- Combine the vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli in a jug and whisk with a fork until combined. Drizzle over cucumber mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
this is such a refreshing salad! absolutely love the idea of pickling ginger!
What a pleasant surprise!!! Gari!!! Such a beautiful salad. Never thought of using gari in the salad. Super creative and refreshing idea!
That looks like a refreshing salad for any day of the week. Thanks for the ginger recipe.
Terrific idea to pickle ginger for the challenge Evelyne! And your salad looks so refreshing. Excellent!
LL
I look at this and I think Sunday brunch…
You did a wonderful job with this. I love the way the dish looks with all the swirls and twirls of the vegetables. Pickled ginger is one of my favorites. It must be terribly refreshing and bright.
how do they make the pickled ginger pink – beets – DUH –
Lovely combo of pickled ginger and the seared tuna with the fresh, crunchy toppings! I love this sort of salad too. I am even more impressed to learn that you coloured the ginger so perfectly with beets, very clever. How DID you find young ginger? A lot of the stuff I find is quite woody. Good job!
Oooh, spicy pickled ginger is just perfect for this challenge! Well done 🙂
I’ve always wanted to make my own pickled ginger. Thanks for the recipe and thanks for this wonderful salad! You’re right – perfect for the seared tuna!
Wow it looks like you have been doing a lot of cooking! I really need to get better about trying al the amazing recipes I see!
I love that bottle of the pickled ginger and the dish you made looks so healthy, vibrant and colorful.
Oh, my gosh, I want your meal…salad, pickled ginger and tuna!!! I am going to try to make candied ginger this week. Pickled ginger sounds spectacular, too.
Very creative, Evelyne! It looks delicious… wonderful addition to the challenge!
This looks amazing!!!!!! All your food does. Great recipes!!
I will certainly try this – love pickled ginger, esp the ones served at Japanese restaurants
Bleh, not for me. But my Mom who loves ginger (in all forms) would probably love this.
I don’t believe this…first we were thinking apples, now we are going Asian:-)
Great minds think alike! Ginger tops my to-die-for ingredient list and pickled..wow! What a beautiful salad Evelyne!
I love pickled ginger with sushi, but never made my own. Will definitely be trying it before the next sushi evening 🙂
I love the pickled ginger, Eve. I used to visit a small local condiment store as a teenager, just to get some pickled ginger!! So appetizing and refreshing.
I adore the taste of pickled ginger and this is definitely something me and my mama would enjoy!
we heart gari…its color and mildly hot flavor…can never have enough…and this is our new favorite way of having it…refreshing salad…thanks for the inspiration 🙂
I love that you chose to pickle ginger. I bet it was delicious in that salad. Thanks for all the tips on ginger uses, very interesting!
Very nice — I didn’t know that beet colored the ginger. I love a dish like this — so fresh and clean tasting.
that looks great! i always feel like the ginger i buy at the store is on its last legs… salad also sounds like a fabulous way to showcase the pickled ginger 🙂