Every summer we are gifted with a generous quantity of plums from our neighbors’ tree. It was planted by previous owners, so we’re not sure of the variety. We only know the tree is older and the plums are abundant, delicious, and juicy!
So for a couple of weeks every summer I’m adding plums to everything, including salads. (Check out my previous post for five-spice rubbed chicken with fresh plum sauce (salsa) here. Or for a sweet treat my Summertime Fruit Cake here, using plums as I have been doing with this year’s bumper crop.)
This recipe came about when I had a craving for a taste of Southeast Asia. I was thinking of making skewers of chicken and pork satay on the barbeque and mixing up a spicy peanut sauce for dipping. Fast forward and we were in a brief summer heat-streak, so I switched to putting the same flavors into a salad. (Our fickle summer weather near to the Pacific Ocean has changed and it’s a chilly 58°F as I type now at midday on our July Fourth Holiday Weekend!)
I encourage mixing and matching with vegetables you enjoy. I purposefully left the list of salad ingredients on the sparse side for my presentation, which can be composed or tossed altogether depending on your serving situation. Add cooked, shredded, or sliced chicken or pork for a heartier option.
If I prepare anything with nuts, especially peanuts, I make sure it’s obvious to any who may have allergies to nuts (and best to pass on this dish). The peanut butter in the dressing isn’t obvious upon serving, so the garnish of chopped peanuts atop signals its presence.
An advance note: This recipe calls for unseasoned rice vinegar. Right next to it on your grocer’s shelf you may also find seasoned rice vinegar. There is a BIG difference between the two, with “seasoned” rice vinegar also including salt, sugar and sometimes MSG. I prefer only getting the unseasoned option, only rice and water, then choosing how I add flavor.
Piedmont Plum Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter either chunky or creamy
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil peanut, sunflower, etc.
- 1 - 2 teaspoons sambal oelek substitute any Asian chili-garlic paste or sriracha sauce, to taste
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon fish sauce substitute with 1 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the salad
- 4 cups crisp salad greens such as Romain or Little Gems lettuces, napa cabbage, etc.
- 1-1/2 cup plums about 4, pitted and sliced into half-inch wedges
- 1 cup cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shallots thinly sliced. Substitute red onion or green onions
- 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the dressing and assemble the salad
- In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth and emulsified. Taste to adjust for acidity, spicy-heat level, and saltiness. Thin with a bit of water if necessary to reach a thick, creamy texture (similar to ranch or green goddess dressings).
- Prepare the leafy greens of choice. Select crispy, crunchy varieties that will hold up to the creamy dressing.
- Serve as a composed salad with the ingredients separated and the dressing drizzled atop or toss all of the salad ingredients together with the dressing mixed throughout. Garnish with chopped peanuts.
