Crunchy Burdock Salad/Seasoned Dish
[Healthy Food] Detoxifying, Diabetes-Friendly, Cholesterol-Lowering Burdock Salad with Prebiotic Benefits
Burdock root is a natural prebiotic, serving as excellent food for beneficial gut bacteria. In traditional Korean medicine, it’s believed to cool down ‘heat’ which is associated with inflammation. While sometimes misunderstood as having a ‘cooling’ nature, it doesn’t actually lower body temperature detrimentally, so feel free to enjoy it! Notably, the burdock skin is packed with even more beneficial compounds like polyphenols, saponins, and chlorogenic acid, which are known to help lower cholesterol, are good for diabetes, and offer anti-cancer and skin-brightening effects. Try making this dish using burdock with its skin on, after washing it thoroughly.
Main Ingredients- Burdock root 2 pieces (approx. 400-450g)
Dressing Ingredients- Natural Apple Vinegar 4 Tbsp
- Soy Sauce (Jin Ganjang) 2 Tbsp
- Perilla Oil 2 Tbsp
- Ground Perilla Seeds 2 Tbsp
- Natural Apple Vinegar 4 Tbsp
- Soy Sauce (Jin Ganjang) 2 Tbsp
- Perilla Oil 2 Tbsp
- Ground Perilla Seeds 2 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Thoroughly scrub the burdock root to clean its skin. Use the back of a knife to gently scrape off any rough or unsightly parts, but keep the skin on as it’s beneficial. Julienne the burdock root into bite-sized strips that are easy to pick up with chopsticks. You’ll notice it starts to brown immediately after cutting. It’s best to avoid soaking it in vinegar water, as this can cause the beneficial nutrients to leach out into the water. Browning doesn’t degrade the nutritional value or harm the body, so it’s perfectly fine to use it as is.
Step 2
Burdock root is commonly prepared as a simmered dish, often with a lot of sugar or syrup. However, excessive sugar can counteract the health benefits of burdock. Therefore, steaming or boiling it before seasoning is the best method for preserving its nutrients. Add a small amount of water to a pot, bring it to a boil, and steam the burdock strips for about 3 minutes. Over-steaming can make it mushy.
Step 3
Some might wonder, ‘How can a cooked dish be called a salad?’ But think about it – boiled potatoes or eggs are also mixed and seasoned, and we call them salads! (Haha) Transfer the steamed burdock strips to a mixing bowl. Let them cool slightly, just enough to release some of the steam. If the dressing is added when it’s too hot, it might separate, and if it cools down too much, the seasonings won’t be absorbed well.
Step 4
For those who might look at the simple seasoning ingredients and wonder how it tastes good without any sweetness, let me introduce a key component: the vinegar. Not all vinegars are created equal. If you carefully read the labels, you’ll find some natural apple vinegars where the sole main ingredient is ‘apple.’ These are made by fermenting apples to produce alcohol (shochu), and then further fermenting that alcohol to create vinegar. Using this type of vinegar adds a wonderful, natural apple aroma and a pleasant sweetness, even without adding sugar, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish.
Step 5
To the steamed burdock, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 4 Tbsp natural apple vinegar, 2 Tbsp perilla oil, and 2 Tbsp ground perilla seeds.
Step 6
Using chopsticks, gently toss and mix the ingredients. Be careful not to mash the burdock; the aim is to coat everything evenly with the seasonings. Gentle mixing is key.
Step 7
Your healthy and delicious burdock salad/seasoned dish is ready! By using a good quality natural apple vinegar, it tasted great even without any added sugar, and my kids enjoyed it thoroughly. They usually eat salads well, but it’s especially rewarding when they enjoy healthy dishes like this. It’s a wonderful dish that perfectly balances health and taste!
