Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing
For the last two weeks, we've been trying to survive an intense heatwave here in New York. As in, temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees F every single day. I've been trying to keep cool by working next to my wonky AC, though unfortunately I can't glue myself to it.
Walking around outside any time before 7pm can be quite brutal. As is waiting for the subway any time of the day. When you look forward to the sun setting so the temps can cool down to 91 degrees, that's a bad sign.
Evidence from New York Magazine: "How hot is it in New York right now? This Hot."
So other than the days I teach, I've been doing very little cooking the past couple of weeks. And when I do, the result has mainly been salads.
Like this edamame salad with miso dressing from Izakaya: Japanese Bar Food. It's supposed to be an appetizer, but I've been eating double or triple the portions as a full-on meal. The amount of time in front of the stove is minimal. And the salad is so crisp and refreshing that I don't even mind having to cook part of it.
It's a great salad to know about for the summer, but I have a feeling I'll still make it even after I get back into regular cooking mode.
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Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon Japanese rice vinegar
1 teaspoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Japanese mustard
8 ounces frozen shelled edamame
4 ounces mizuna or arugula leaves
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the white miso, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, and Japanese mustard with 2 tablespoons of warm water. Stir until the miso and sugar and dissolved. Set aside for 1 hour for the flavors to develop.
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the edamame and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender. Drain into a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water. Shake out the excess water.
In a large bowl, toss the edamame and salad leaves with the dressing, then serve.
Adapted from Izakaya: Japanese bar food