Fresh Ginseng Cold Vegetable Salad

….We have been eating ginseng from a young age in Korea. Korean ginseng is already well-known globally as a healthy ingredient, and there is no hesitation for us, who consume dried red ginseng steeped in water daily as a health supplement, to use ginseng as an ingredient. The ginseng cold salad that I learned in a cooking class is occasionally made for my husband and me to take care of our health. But our second daughter likes this kind of food and eats well with us. Choosing complementary ingredients that go well with ginseng and lightly dressing it with onion mustard sauce makes it refreshingly delicious regardless of the season. In the area where I live, where it’s not easy to find ginseng, I can sometimes buy it at a Korean market. Today was precisely that day! Quickly putting two roots of neatly arranged ginseng on the cart, as soon as I return, it’s a day to find the recipe again and get busy in the kitchen with the precious ingredient. I added celery and fresh chestnuts, which my husband likes, and made it easily with vegetables in the refrigerator. When adding ginseng to the salad, you can soak it in cold water for a while to remove some spiciness, but if you like the full, slightly bitter taste of ginseng, you can skip this step. You may not eat it in large quantities like a regular salad, but consuming it occasionally can certainly contribute to your health.

Servings: 4–5

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 2 fresh ginsengs, julienned and soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
2. 2 celery stalks, peeled and julienned
3. 1 cucumber, seeds removed and julienned
4. 6 fresh chestnuts, peeled and sliced
5. 1/2 Korean pear, julienned
6. 3 radishes, julienned
7. 1 tsp sea salt

For Sauce:

1. 1/4 onion, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
2. 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3. 1 tbsp apple vinegar
4. 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
5. 1 1/2 tbsp Korean mustard
6. 1 tsp sea salt

Cooking Instructions:

1. Soak the julienned ginseng and sea salt in cold water for 20 minutes.

2. After 20 minutes, strain it with a strainer and set aside.

3. Blend the lemon juice, apple vinegar, sugar, Korean mustard, sea salt, and soaked onion, in a blender well. Keep it in the refrigerator.

4. Place all vegetables on a tray.

5. When serving, lightly mix it with the sauce immediately, or serve all the ingredients on one plate and provide the sauce on the side.

You can also view this recipe on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2sDTs5rraNUTsTsGQQs4sND8qiiMj7m7jlCME0/?img_index=1