Take & Shake Salad Box

Name: Take & Shake Salad Box
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp white miso paste; 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar; 3 tbsp sesame oil; 2 chicken breast; 200 g soba noodles; 1 baby gem lettuce (shredded); 100 g curly kale (stalks removed and shredded); 1/2 cucumber (deseeded & sliced); 4 spring onion (thinly sliced); 100 g edamame (cooked); handful fresh coriander (leaves picked & roughly chopped); handful fresh mint (leaves picked & roughly chopped); sesame seeds (to garnish); 80 ml light soy sauce; 60 ml rice wine vinegar; 3 tbsp white miso paste; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp tahini; 1 tbsp honey; 2 tsp fresh ginger (finely grated); 1 tsp sesame seeds

25 mins

595 cals per serving

Donal's Notes

Beyond the catchy title, the concept to this little lunchbox starlet is that you create your dressing in the base of a small lunchbox and then pile in chunky ingredients that will hold up well until you’re ready to give it all a good shake to serve. There are plenty of variations you could apply but in the recipe I provide here it’s all about chicken, noodles, vegetables and killer sauce. Fret not, in the photo this looks pretty but it may not look like this by the time you’ve taken it where you need to go.

Equipment

Microplane

Chopping knife

Chopping board

Large saucepan

Whisk

Tongs

Griddle pan

Large mixing bowl

Method

For the dressing, finely grate the ginger and add to a bowl along with all the ingredients. Whisk well and set aside. Alternatively, you can shake them all together in a jam jar fitted with a lid.

Mix the red miso, rice wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil together in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat then set aside until needed.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil then add the frozen peas and edamame and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. When cold, place into a separate bowl.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions before draining and cooling under cold running water. Place the noodles in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tsp of sesame oil and toss to coat. Set aside.

Deseed and thinly slice the cucumber.

Finely slice the spring onions, little gem lettuce and kale.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the marinade off the chicken breasts and grill the chicken, turning often, for about 6 -8 minutes each side, or until the chicken is cooked through. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes then slice into thick strips.

To assemble; place the dressing in the bottom of your lunchbox and top with a layer of noodles. Add the cucumber, spring onion salad on top and then a layer of the shredded kale and lettuce. Finally add some sliced chicken breast and finish with a few extra herbs and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Once you are ready to eat, take your salad box and shake it to coat the salad in the dressing.