I first tasted this daikon salad when my niece grabbed lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant near UNLV and offered her most favorite Tita (Tagalog of “auntie”) a bite.
This salad is called “Namasu” and is often included as part of Osechi Ryori – the traditional New Year’s dishes in Japan. #AkemashiteOmedetoGozaimasu
Omg YUM! Sweet, sour, crunchy, and oh soooo refreshing! I am not too proud to admit that I’ve gone and grabbed food from there a few times just for this salad. They didn’t offer it as a separate item… uh huh, pretty sneaky.
Anyway, I figured it was time to make this baby at home. It’s so simple to make, I’m totally smacking myself for not doing this sooner!
Ready?
Ingredients
- 14 oz daikon radish peeled and cut into 2 inch matchsticks
- 3 oz carrots peeled and cut into 2 inch matchsticks
- 1 tsp kosher/sea salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
Dressing
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp kosher/sea salt (half of 1/4tsp table salt)
Instructions
- In a bowl, sprinkle salt over daikon and carrot and gently combine. Set aside for 10 minutes. (This will help draw out the extra liquid so the veggies stay crunchy.)
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- Squeeze out moisture form daikon and carrots and place in serving dish or storage container. Pour dressing and lightly toss to combine.
- Serve chilled.