This salad is palate-cleansing and refreshing. A little spicy, a little tart—and you can prep it in advance. The thinner you slice the daikon, the better it will absorb the flavor of the dressing. This recipe is from Taiwanese-American cook Lisa Cheng Smith’s spectacular Lunar New Year feast. Find the rest of her menu here.
Ingredients
- 1 large daikon (about 1 lb.), peeled, thinly sliced into 3"-long matchsticks
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 red finger or Fresno chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½–1 tsp. store-bought or homemade chile crisp (optional)
- Toasted white and/or black sesame seeds (for serving)
Recipe Preparation
Toss daikon and ½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl; let sit 30 minutes. Transfer to a dish towel and squeeze out excess moisture.
Meanwhile, whisk chile, garlic, oil, vinegar, sugar, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt in a large bowl and let sit 30 minutes.
Add daikon to bowl and massage dressing into daikon. Let sit at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (cover and chill if holding longer than 1 hour).
To serve, stir in desired amount of chile crisp if using and top with sesame seeds.
