Brown Rice • Pickled Vegetables • Edamame • Snap Peas • Bok Choy
Salad recipe by Roots for the Home Team Youth Advisory Council and chef coach Yia Vang from Vinai and Union Hmong Kitchen.
Legacy Salad by Roots for the Home Team Youth Advisory Council
Salad salute.
Zarea, Michael, Alfredo, Kajia, Carl and Sesay are Roots’ alumni and the founding members of Roots’ new Youth Advisory Council (YAC). They teamed up with James Beard nominee Chef Yia Vang to make this sentimental salad, which offers a tip of the hat to Roots founder Sue Moores for the influence she has had on them. The salad also expresses memories of their rich experiences in Roots, ones that offered new opportunities, new skills and personal growth they have carried forward to YAC. The bed of greens represents the foundation and support Sue provides so youth can feel empowered in their lives. The salad mix and dressing incorporate favorite components from previous salad dishes.
Legacy Salad
With Korean Chili Mango Vinaigrette
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
- 1 cup chopped bok choy (both greens and stalks)
- 8 cups mixed salad greens
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tsp)
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- Coarse salt to taste
Toppers
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Roasted, salted chickpeas (packaged)
Directions
- To make the salad, mix 2 cups vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Add carrots, bell pepper, onion, and chile; mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to pickle the vegetables. Drain.
- Meanwhile, cook brown rice according to package directions. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the rice with the drained pickled vegetables, edamame, sugar snap peas, and bok choy.
- To make dressing, place mango, lime juice, vinegar, pepper flakes, garlic, shallot, fish sauce, and honey in blender. Process until smooth. With the blender running, slowly pour in oil, processing until thick and smooth. Season with salt.
- Stir half the dressing into the salad mixture; toss to coat well.
- Arrange salad greens on plates. Spoon salad mixture on top. Garnish with cilantro and roasted chickpeas.
Future and Career Planning
"Through Roots, you get to meet successful people in interesting careers. I didn’t know you could like your job."
— Cecilia
Get Involved with Roots
Step up to the plate and become a ROOTS Youth, Supporter or Mentor.
Become a Roots Food Partner or Program Sponsor
Are you an Urban Farm or food supplier? Are you a retail business interested in selling ROOTS salads? Would you like to serve Roots salads at your next event?
Volunteer as a Youth Mentor or Chef Coach
Would you join one of our workshops to discuss your professional career experience and pathway? Are you a chef who would share your talent by guiding ROOTS youth as they create their salad recipes?
Donate
Simply put, money makes many experiences more attainable. Roots for the Home Team does everything in its power to clear pathways to success for our youth. Will you join our team to make these bright futures all the easier to reach?
Become a ROOTS Youth
All Roots for the Home Team participants connect with our organization through Minneapolis and St. Paul urban farms. Are you a teen interested in joining Roots for the Home Team? Check out our youth Garden Program partners.