Jicama Salad With Lime Vinaigrette and Mint Cream

Jicama Salad With Lime Vinaigrette and Mint Cream
Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(95)
Comments
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The chef Eric Werner, who moved from Brooklyn to the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico, in 2009, and opened Hartwood in Tulum, puts in long hours on the road every week chasing down local produce at remote markets and farms. He might not know what he'll do with it once back in the kitchen, he has the knack for turning a jumble of tropical fruits and vegetables into an American-style composed salad or a rustic but elegant side dish. Jicama is native to Central America, and readily available in the United States, but most home cooks haven't embraced it yet. This salad should change that. It's sliced into refreshing, crunchy slices, then lavished with flavors like mint and lime that are cool, tart and sweet. If you're not putting the salad together immediately, keep the sliced jicama in the refrigerator, covered with cold water and a squeeze of lemon juice. It will last for at least a day. Pat dry before using. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Rewriting the Menu in Tulum

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Salad

    • 2medium-size jicama (about the size of a baking potato)
    • 2large navel oranges
    • ½cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), lightly toasted in a skillet or oven
    • ½cup sunflower seeds, lightly toasted in a skillet or oven
    • 1cup fresh mint leaves
    • 1tablespoon lime juice
    • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½teaspoon salt, more to taste
    • 2teaspoons honey
    • Diced watermelon, or pomegranate seeds and pomegranate molasses to garnish, optional

    For the Mint Cream

    • 3tablespoons pepitas, lightly toasted
    • 1cup mint leaves
    • ½cup olive oil
    • 1tablespoon honey
    • ½teaspoon lime juice
    • cup sour cream
    • ½teaspoon salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

539 calories; 41 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 413 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using a knife or peeler, peel jicama. Cut off rounded edges to shape jicama into a solid square or rectangle. Slice ¼ inch thick, then cut slices into 2-inch squares. Set aside in a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Peel oranges with a knife and cut into segments, removing as much white pith as possible. Add to jicama (reserving a few segments for garnish) and refrigerate. This can be done up to 4 hours ahead.

  3. Step 3

    Make the mint cream: In a blender, combine pepitas, mint, oil, honey and lime juice. Blend at high speed until smooth. While blending, slowly add ½ cup cold water and blend until emulsified. Blend in sour cream and salt. Strain to remove any solids.

  4. Step 4

    When ready to serve, add pepitas, sunflower seeds and mint leaves to bowl (reserving a few leaves for garnish) with jicama and oranges. Whisk together lime juice, oil, salt and honey, then pour over salad and toss gently. Taste for salt and other seasonings, adding more as needed.

  5. Step 5

    Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of mint cream on each plate or bowl and swirl to cover bottom. Gently spoon salad mixture on top. Garnish with reserved orange segments and mint leaves, plus watermelon or pomegranate seeds and molasses, if using. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
95 user ratings
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Comments

Followed recipe exactly for a Mexico-themed Supper Club. It's delicious, so light and refreshing. A real treat. Everyone loved it. I followed the "underwater" method for seeding the pomegranate. Youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHyqoeB0Wlk
Absolutely no mess or staining. Will definitely make again. Very special.

Add avocado slivered red onion

I thought there was too much jicama for the amount of oranges. I didn't do the mint creme (didn't sound very good to me for the work). I added the optional pomegranate seeds and thought that was a very good addition. I don't like things very sweet, so cut back on the honey in the dressing. All in all, it was a very well received salad (brought it to a dinner party), I'm glad I made it and would make it again.

Made this for a dinner party and it was a huge hit. Didn't use all of the jicama and should've increased the citrus - that ratio isn't quite right. The combination of the cream and the dressing was delicious. Used pomegranate seeds and finished the plates with a swirl of the pomegranate molasses, which made it look like restaurant quality. Got requests for the recipe. May use some delicate lettuce in future attempts.

For the salad, I added the juice of two whole limes, more olive oil, salt to taste and fresh cracked pepper. Served on a bed of butter lettuce, topped off with chunks of avocado, and garnished with watermelon and more mint. Didn't use the sunflower seeds. Was a hit at the dinner party!

Just came back from Hartwood in Tulum where we ordered this dish vegan for my vegan spouse. I’m pretty sure they didn’t include any oranges, and even without the mint cream it was fantastic. We made it as soon as we got home. Definitely a recipe we will add to the regular rotation!

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Credits

Adapted from Eric Werner, Hartwood, Tulum, Mexico

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