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Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar and Asian Salads Cookbook Review

7 August, 2019 by Tara 15 Comments

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Asian Salads: 72 Inspired Recipes from Vietnam, China, Korea, Thailand and India, written by Maki Watanabe, features a variety of easy and delicious salads. Highlights include Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot Salad, Tomato and Bean Sprouts with Vietnamese Dressing, Hoe Deopbap (Korean White Fish Carpaccio), Chicken & Green Onions with Spicy Sesame Dressing, Fried Fish Nuggets with Carrot and Onion Chili Sauce, and Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad). I will also be sharing her recipe for Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar following the review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Tuttle Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar in a bowl

Maki Watanabe

Maki Watanabe is active in the natural lifestyle community and has written many cookbooks in Japanese including the two-time “Recipe Book Award” winner, Daily Side Salads. She has made appearances in advertisements and on television, contributed to books and magazines, and collaborated with SHOP to create kitchen utensils and clothing. 

Asian Salads

Chapters are divided based on the type of salad: Versatile Asian Dressings; Marinated and Pickled Salads; Light and Refreshing Salads; Seafood Salads; Salads with Meat and Chicken; Salads with Fritters, Spring Rolls and Other Fried Snacks; and Stir-Fried Salads and Vegetables. The contents have a list of the recipes with page number for easy reference. 

Maki begins with a short introduction and how she was inspired to create the salads in this book. She includes a series of guides focusing on the different types of seasonings and pantry items, basic cooking terms, kitchen and tableware, fresh herbs, drink pairing ideas, and even a handful of easy dressing recipes.

The photography is provided by Taro Terasawa with styling by Kanako Sasaki. Every recipe is accompanied by a quarter to full page photo of the finished dish. A few even have smaller step-by-step photos to demonstrate techniques such as frying fish cakes, folding samosas, and pickling Napa cabbage and carrots. Titles are written in English and occasionally the original language. Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Each recipe includes a headnote with a short introduction, serving size, prep time, and helpful tips. 

This book is a great pick for those interested in trying a variety of salad and vegetable-based recipes. There is a nice mixture of light salads along with more intricate ones filling enough to be a main course. Some take as little as 5 minutes to prepare with no cooking required, while a few others involve more complicated techniques. Having an Asian market nearby will be helpful for locating items such as pork belly, lemongrass, nam pla (fish sauce), Szechuan pepper, sesame paste, gochujang, black vinegar, garam masala, dried white cloud ear mushrooms, salted jellyfish, nuoc mam, sake, lotus root, Thai basil, sliced beef tongue, cellophane noodles, rice paper wrappers, shiso leaves, and more.

Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar

Aerial view of Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar

This Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar recipe is a light and refreshing side that comes together in about 10 minutes. Potatoes are peeled and finely shredded (I use this Julienne Cutter), then boiled briefly in water seasoned with Shaoxing wine until just tender but still crisp. They are drained well, tossed with thinly sliced bell peppers (that have also soaked in water for about 3 minutes), and coated in a light mixture of black vinegar and nam pla (fish sauce). To finish, drizzle with a little sesame oil and sprinkle a pinch of five spice powder.

Shaoxing Wine is a fermented rice wine originally from Shaoxing in eastern China. I have been able to find it at larger grocery stores with a sizeable wine selection, such as Wegmans. It is also available in Asian food markets specializing in Chinese ingredients. Sherry can be used as a substitution.

I first came across black vinegar (Chinkiang Vinegar) as a dipping sauce for Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings) and it is now one of my favorites. Chinkiang Vinegar (Zhenjiang, 镇江香醋) is a glutinous rice and wheat bran-based vinegar from Zhenjiang that is aged until it becomes dark brown to black resulting in a rich flavor with a hint of sweetness. I have been able to find it in Asian markets with Chinese ingredients and more recently even in larger grocery stores. It is also available on Amazon for a higher price: Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar.

Nam pla (fish sauce) is a condiment popular in Southeast Asian cooking. It is created by slowly fermenting fish (generally anchovies) in a salt water mixture, then pressing to produce a thin liquid. It has quite the strong smell, but provides a savory umami flavor. Brands from different countries will vary a bit in taste and quality. Fish sauce is available in most Asian food markets and even some larger grocery stores. Be sure to check the ingredient list first. The good ones should only contain anchovies, salt, and water.

Other Dishes

I also made the Sweet Pickled Red Onions, Cucumber Salad with Yogurt & Garlic Dressing (Raita), Beef and Avocado Thai Salad, and Vegetable-Packed Stir-Fried Glass Noodles (Japchae).

The Sweet Pickled Red Onions is an easy accompaniment that comes together in only 10 minutes. Diced red onions are placed in a jar and covered with a heated sweet and sour mixture of cumin seeds, salt, sugar, white, wine, and lemon juice. Maki recommends pairing them with curry or as a salad topping. I especially enjoyed the onions as a garnish on sandwiches. 

The Cucumber Salad with Yogurt & Garlic Dressing is another easy recipe. A small cucumber is roughly chopped and tossed with a garlicky yogurt and olive oil. It is especially delicious and refreshing paired with spicy meals.

This Beef and Avocado Salad was inspired by a Thai Salad Maki tried that combines boiled beef and vegetables. Thinly sliced beef is very briefly boiled and coated in a lemony spicy dressing. The mixture is tossed with avocado, red onion, cilantro, and green onions. This salad was definitely one of my favorites.

I happened to have some leftover dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) in the pantry, so used them to make this Vegetable-Packed Stir-Fried Glass Noodles (Japchae). This recipe was the favorite with the kids. Cooked dangmyeon noodles are tossed with a variety of stir-fried vegetables and seasoned with a soy sauce mixture. Overall, the noodles come together in 30 minutes for a well-rounded dish perfect for weeknights.

Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar with five spice powder

Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar Recipe

Excerpt from Asian Salads

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Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black Vinegar

A recipe for Shredded Potato and Red Bell Pepper with Black vinegar from the cookbook, Asian Salads.
Course Salad
Cuisine Asian
Keyword asia, asian, bell pepper, black vinegar, potato, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
0 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 medium potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sake
  • 2 small red bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon black vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons nam pla (fish sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 pinch five spice powder

Instructions

  • Peel and finely shred the potatoes, and soak in a bowl of cold water for a minute. Drain. Bring a pan of water to a boil with the Shaoxing wine and add the shredded potatoes. Boil for 45 seconds, then drain well.
  • De-seed and thinly slice the bell peppers lengthwise, and soak in a bowl of cold water for about 3 minutes. Drain well.
  • Mix the black vinegar and nam pla in a bowl, add the potato and bell pepper, and toss well to coat. Drizzle in the sesame oil and mix. Transfer to serving plates, and sprinkle with a little five spice powder.
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Filed Under: Asian, Soups/Salads, Vegetables Tagged With: bell pepper, potato, salad, vegetable, vinegar

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer

    7 August, 2019 at 9:19 am

    That looks fantastic!

    Reply
  2. Dannii

    7 August, 2019 at 9:25 am

    What a lovely light and simple salad. I will definitely be trying this one!

    Reply
  3. Michelle Medlin

    7 August, 2019 at 9:36 am

    Looks so simple and delicious. I would have never thought of that flavor combo!

    Reply
  4. Tisha

    7 August, 2019 at 9:37 am

    Wow! This looks so incredible and a great idea for a side dish!

    Reply
  5. Gabi

    7 August, 2019 at 9:42 am

    This salad makes me curious. I’ve never eaten potatoes that are cooked in such a short time. But of course I’ve also never sliced them that tiny. A wonderful salad inspiration. Thank you, I can’t wait to try it:)

    Reply
    • Tara

      7 August, 2019 at 12:28 pm

      It definitely only works with finely shredded potatoes! If they are any thicker or even finely hand-cut, the boiling time will increase. You just want them cooked through, but still crisp enough to hold the coating without getting soggy.

      Reply
  6. Steph

    7 August, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    I like anything with avocado!

    Reply
  7. Colton

    7 August, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    I like salads that utilize sauteed spinach and garlic, with maybe avocado and/or blue cheese. I’m not sure what would be considered the most comparable, so I’ll just say “spinach salads” are my favorite.

    Reply
  8. NANCY

    8 August, 2019 at 8:31 am

    I love vegetables, so I would probably say a garden salad. But I love the creativity of these salads. Thanks for the chance.

    Reply
  9. Annette

    8 August, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    I love salads, especially when I make homemade dressing made from homemade mayonnaise.

    I ‘m anxious to try black vinegar after only learning about it last week from America’s Test Kitchen’s youtube video on smashed cucumbers. So, it’s funny you should mention it now.

    Reply
  10. Desiree DeYoung

    10 August, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    My favorite salad is usually one that comes together easily and works as a meal, side dish, or dessert. Usually whatever I’m in the mood for and like most food there are so many different salads to enjoy!!!^_^

    Reply
  11. Linda

    11 August, 2019 at 4:47 am

    Great looking salad,different thanks for something new.

    Reply
  12. Jeffrey

    11 August, 2019 at 12:13 pm

    I love spinach with fresh strawberries, gorgonzola, walnuts, roasted chicken and a vinaigrette.

    Reply
  13. Linda

    12 August, 2019 at 3:00 pm

    I love Thai papaya salad. I’ve tried making this at home.

    Reply
  14. Cassandra D

    14 August, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    Chicken,walnut and strawberry salad.

    Reply

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