Turkey, Brown Rice and Miso Salad with Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
Spring, as the weather warms up, is when salads start to feature more prominently on the menu
And here is one of our latest favourites
I love spring salads that blend roasted veggies with tasty dressings…
This salad is a delightful blend of tasty tender turkey (or you could use chicken), broccoli and carrots which are roasted until caramelised (YUM!), a super-scrumptious miso dressing which coats the nutty, chewy brown rice
All topped off with a delicious crunch from toasted sesame seeds – mmmmm!
I’m having a serious love affair with roasted broccoli right now, putting it in everything or just eating it as is. It’s sooo yummy!
This salad can be served warm or cold, and would make a very yummy lunch or dinner
And it can be prepared in parts, which is what I did…
I cooked the rice and dressed it, roasted the broccoli and carrots and cooked the turkey the day before
Then threw it together just before we ate it, which made it seem awfully quick and easy!
I got to enjoy the leftovers for lunch the following day 🙂
I do hope you try this salad and love it as much as we do
And make it again and again!
- ¾ cup brown rice
- 2 heads (approx 600 grams) broccoli
- 4 large carrots
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 220 grams turkey breast strips
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1½ tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons tamari or light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ cup fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted
- handful of baby spinach leaves
- Start by cooking the rice in boiling water as per directions on the pack, or as you are used to
- Heat oven to 200 degrees and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper
- Cut broccoli florets off the stem, then cut florets into bite-sized pieces and slice stem
- Toss florets and broccoli stems with some olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto one of the prepared trays
- Place in the oven for 20-30 mins, or until golden brown
- Cut carrots into large batons, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto the other prepared tray
- Bake for 20-30 mins or until softened and browned
- Heat a frypan over medium heat. When hot, add a drizzle of oil and cook the turkey steaks.
- When cooked, transfer to a plate or bowl and allow to cool before shredding into large pieces.
- Prepare dressing by adding miso, rice vinegar, mirin, tamari and ginger to a large bowl and whisk well.
- When the rice is cooked, drain well and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then add to dressing and stir through to coat.
- Add turkey, roasted broccoli, carrots, coriander, sesame seeds and baby spinach leaves and mix together. Serve
What is great about miso?
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, salt, a starter culture and other ingredients such as rice, barley or other grains. There are many different varieties of miso depending on key ingredients and the length of fermentation (from 3 months to 3 years!). Miso has a strong, salty taste, which means that you only need to use a small amount to add amazing flavour.
Miso contains probiotics – cultures or healthy bacteria found in certain foods. When we eat these foods, this healthy bacteria can join the bacterial colony in our gut, helping to boost the ‘good’ bacteria population. This is a good thing!
As miso is a living food, it should be stored in the fridge after opening. It contains a lot of salt which helps to preserve it, so it will last for many months. It is best used uncooked or only just heated (to less than 60 degrees C) to protect it valuable live cultures.
Miso is best known for it’s use in Miso soup, but this tasty paste can used in so many different ways, such as:
- Mix a tablespoon of miso with two tablespoons of white wine to marinade fish, chicken or tofu
- Add a small amount to salad dressings
- Add it any other soups at the end of cooking (remember to allow the soup to cool first)
- Add a little miso to dips such as hummus or babaganoush
- Mix with a little water and add to stir-fries right at the end
- Add to vegetable and bean, lentil or chickpea based casseroles
- Add a little miso paste to mashed potato
