Salad Samurai

SERVES: 3 TO 4

TIME: 45 MINUTES

A wonderful contrast of hot and cold, spicy and crunchy, this seitan version of a traditional Thai dish of spicy minced meat and veggies tucked into large edible leaves (or lettuce) is lovely to behold and fun to eat. Gluten-free? Then opt for the even faster and hearty lentil variation!

SEITAN LARB

¾ cup coarsely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass

3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced, or 1 teaspoon unpacked grated lime zest

1 to 3 small red Thai chiles, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons Thai light soy sauce or regular soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons peanut oil or mild vegetable oil

2 Steamed Seitan Cutlets (page 50), roughly diced

10 or more large, crisp lettuce leaves, hearts of romaine leaves, or 4 to 6 cups of mixed spring greens

CHILE LIME DRESSING

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons Thai light soy sauce or regular soy sauce

2 rounded tablespoons coconut sugar or organic brown sugar

2 teaspoons Sriracha

GARNISH

1 cup lightly packed cilantro sprigs

½ cup Curried Cashew Pepita Crunch (page 36) or roasted, chopped peanuts

LENTIL LARB

Substitute the seitan with 2 cups of Lentils for Salads (page 49) or cooked canned lentils. Firm black or French lentils work best.

1 In a food processor, pulse together the shallots, lemongrass, lime, chiles, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the pulsed mixture. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Meanwhile, chop the seitan in the food processor. Add the seitan to the skillet and continue to fry for another 4 minutes, or until seitan is heated through. If the seitan starts to stick, deglaze the pan with a few tablespoons of water or vegetable broth.

2 Make the dressing: whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

3 Serve the larb! Scoop the hot seitan larb into lettuce leaves and arrange on a serving dish. Or for a nontraditional, casual meal, pile it on top of salad greens arranged in serving bowls. Drizzle with a little dressing, garnish with cilantro and curried cashews, and eat immediately, passing around any leftover dressing.

Look for fresh or frozen whole kaffir lime leaves where Southeast Asian produce is sold, or substitute 1 teaspoon unpacked grated lime zest in place of the leaves. To prepare fresh lemongrass, see the lemongrass entry in Ingredient Talk (page 11). You can use regular soy sauce or tamari, but mellow Thai soy sauce tastes rich and nuanced here. Look for Thai soy sauce and fiery little red Thai chiles in Thai grocery stores.