Shaved Vegetable Salad with Sunflower Seeds and a Creamy Avocado Wasabi dressing

Last February we had this salad at the amazing Brasserie of Light in London on Oxford Street. We loved the restaurant and all of it’s instagramable charm like the mirrored horse high above us. This salad was light, crunchy and refreshing. A nice side dish to share or as a main course. Over the past few months I have seen that they have changed it several times and it is now served with a avocado hummus dressing. But I haven’t tried it, so hard to knock it off, but I loved the slightly spicy creaminess of the avocado wasabi dressing anyway.

This is my version of what I tasted. Change up your vegetables to whatever is in season, so it’s fresh and easy to find ingredients. I noticed that they always used Chiogga beets, they have such beautiful bright pink and white rings. Although in Miami I couldn’t find them. I substituted Watermelon Radishes as they gave me that same pop of color and crunch. I also use yellow beets as they have a nice subtle flavor. Do not use the red as they will bleed all over the rest of your salad.

You must use a mandoline, there is absolutely no way you could get the vegetables thin enough to layer and cut and eat with a fork if they are not thin enough.

If you wish to cut your veggies the day before. You can cut the beets, fennel, radish, cauliflower and carrots in advance, just keep them in a bowl of cold, semi iced water in the refrigerator. The cucumbers can not be kept in cold water and should be used within a couple of hours of cutting or they get mushy.

Prep Time: 30 minutes to shave veggies and blend dressing

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 endive and/or 2 small red radicchio or both for base of salad

1 yellow beet, peeled

1 Chiogga Beets (if available)

1 fennel bulb

1 long Japanese cucumber

2 purple carrots

2 orange carrots

2 yellow carrots

1 head cauliflower

1 lg or 2 small Watermelon radish

raw sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1 large Florida avocado or 2 Haas avocados

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1/2 cup avocado oil

⅓ cup sour cream or greek yogurt

1 tsp wasabi paste (you can do this to taste if you want to add 1 more tsp)

¾ tsp salt

1 Tbs grainy mustard

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

For the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients into a blender with exception of the grainy mustard. The restaurant did not use grainy mustard, so you can use dried mustard powder, but only ½ tsp. I like the look and taste of the grain. Blend all ingredients, stir in the mustard afterwards

For the salad: You must use a mandolin. If you do not, the vegetables will be too thick and too hard to eat like a salad. You need them crunchy, but easy to cut with a knife. Shave the carrots and cucumbers lengthwise. As you shave the carrots, beets, fennel, radish and cauliflower you can place them in ice water. This will keep them crisp. Do not do this for the cucumber, it might get mushy.

Display your radicchio on a plate. Arrange the vegetables and endive on top. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and drizzle the dressing over the top or just serve on the side. Enjoy!