Sesame Ginger Dressing over a Cabbage, Carrot, and Edamame Salad

Tonight for dinner we are having vegetable potstickers.  I have made homemade potstickers for previous meals but didn't feel up to the task for this evening.  Instead, I just bought Chung's Vegetable Potstickers from Publix.  I went simple and easy. And although this post is entitled "Sesame Ginger Dressing over a Cabbage, Carrot, and Edamame Salad," for the salad I actually just used a bag of precut coleslaw mix I had leftover in the fridge and one cup of frozen shelled edamame which I cooked according to the package directions.  Easy again! This salad sounds fancy when all the ingredients are written out but in reality it is really, really not. However, it is really, really good!  Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

If you are like me, I often don't know what sides to put with any Asian meal I am attempting to make.  Rice seems to be the go-to side option for these meals, however, I didn't want to make that tonight.  I wanted something a little lighter.  It is getting warm out.  The sun is up later and later in the day.  I wanted a salad.  So with that desire, I decided to put together a sesame ginger dressing to be thrown over cabbage, carrots, and edamame. (Please again, see the note above if this sounds fancy. It is not.)

Although we are eating later this evening, I wanted to give the cabbage time to marinate (can you say that about a vegetable?) in the dressing before serving.  I just tried the salad again (it has been sitting about two hours now) and this is a very light but flavorful dressing.  I am excited to see how it goes with the vegetable potstickers which can sometimes be a little heavier.  I am planning on pan frying the potstickers in a little bit of olive oil to enhance their crispiness and flavor.  I will let you know how everything goes together!

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Sesame Ginger Dressing
(makes about 3/4 cup of dressing)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar

Begin by pouring the rice wine vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl.  Add the ginger and garlic.  Mix well with a fork or whisk.  (I found a fork works better.)  Add soy sauce and sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved.  Add sesame seeds and sesame oil and mix.  Pour the dressing over the salad.  Let salad sit for at least one hour before serving.  Stir before serving and sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, fried wonton strips, or any remaining edamame. Enjoy!

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