TheGreenTurnip Score: 7

This fresh, colorful, protein-packed salad keeps very well! The light sesame dressing soaks into the chicken after 2 or 3 days, so look forward to extra delicious eats on day 4.

Actually this recipe gave me a big shock. Ready…?

Bean sprouts have a surprising number of calories! About 60 calories per cup. And that is because they are beans, specifically sprouted beans.

Maybe I am the only one to have this realization. Maybe the rest of you already put it together. But I am embarrassed to say that I just never realized “bean sprouts” are SPROUTED BEANS. I thought of bean sprouts as vegetables, more like lettuce (which boasts about 5 calories per cup). I also thought that bean sprouts were not very nutritious, since the color is so light.

Clearly I am operating with some rather misinformed assumptions, and I should be studying the nutrition section of my vegetable sommelier textbook more! >_<

This sesame salad reimagines gomae, a common Japanese side dish of spinach seasoned with sesame. The dressing has been lightened with vinegar and the veggies now include snow peas and carrots! The salad is bursting with sesame flavor and a tad bit sweet. Ground sesame seeds are a loose powder, sold in many Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, you can substitute tahini or make your own in a food processor.

This salad is pretty protein-packed, since it has both bean sprouts and chicken. If you want more veggie and less protein, you can easily increase the carrots and peas! I used multi-colored carrots from Trader Joe’s for an extra colorful pop. This recipe makes enough for a week’s worth of medium portions for 1 person (about 10 medium portions).

Ingredients

Chicken Breast, 1

Bean Sprouts, 2 cups

Snow Peas, 2 cups

Carrots, 2-3

Salt, several teaspoons

Ground sesame seeds, 8 tablespoons

Vinegar, 6 tablespoons

Sugar, 3 tablespoons

Sesame oil, a dash

1. Poke the chicken breast all over with a fork. Cover with plastic (or an overturned bowl) and microwave for 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Set aside. (Alternatively, you can poach the chicken breast.)

2. In a bowl, mix the ground sesame seeds, vinegar, sugar, and 2/3 teaspoons salt.

3. Slice the snow peas in half. Peel and thinly slice the carrot on a diagonal. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt. Quickly cook the snow peas, bean sprouts, and carrot (just 20-30 seconds). Then immediately submerge in cold water. Drain.

2. Shred the cooled chicken with a fork. Combine the chicken, sesame dressing, snow peas, bean sprouts, and carrot. Mix. Cover and store.

Adapted from “もやしと鶏ささ身のごまあえサラダ” from “作り置きサラダ”.

Want to learn more about simple, Japanese-inspired weekly meal prep? Read “What is Make Now & Eat Later”… Wondering if it keeps fresh? Check out photos of the food each day of the week!

Come back on Monday! New recipes posted here every week.