Jicama Salad
Updated November 15, 2023
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
½ cup avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lime juice
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
½ serrano chile, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Tajín
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
FOR THE SALAD
¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 small jicama (about 8 ounces)
¼ small pineapple
2 to 3 Persian cucumbers (about 4 ounces total) or ¼ seedless cucumber
2 navel oranges
1 to 2 heads little gem lettuce, depending on size (or use hearts of romaine)
1 small red onion
1 serrano chile
Tender herbs (such as small leaves of basil, cilantro, dill and/or parsley) or microgreens
Edible flowers (optional)
4 teaspoons Tajín
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the vinaigrette: In the jar of an immersion blender or in a standard blender, purée the avocado oil, lime juice, garlic, serrano chile, tajín and salt until smooth and emulsified. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well to combine.) Set aside.
- Step 2
Prepare the salad: Heat the pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and set aside to cool.
- Step 3
Using a sharp knife, trim the ends and peel off the brown skin from the jicama. Trim and peel the pineapple. Cut the jicama and pineapple lengthwise in half. Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, cut the jicama, pineapple and cucumbers into very thin slices (about 24 slices of jicama and 16 slices of pineapple). Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the oranges, then cut them into 8 slices each. Separate the leaves of the lettuce (you should have at least 20). Thinly slice the onion into rings and save the small ones from the center (save the remainder for another use). Thinly slice the serranos.
- Step 4
Divide the jicama slices among 4 large plates, followed by the pineapple, cucumber and orange slices. Top with the lettuce leaves, then 2 or 3 red onion rings each, the toasted pepitas and serrano slices. Sprinkle with the herbs and flowers, if using, and finish with the tajín, a drizzle of dressing and some flaky salt at the end. (Alternatively, layer the ingredients on a large wide platter.) Serve any remaining dressing on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
We order this at Cruz del Sur every time we eat there - it's divine! - and then binge on making it at home, substituting daikon when I can't get jicama, the best fruity or lemon olive oil you can find (we keep on hand for just such dishes) for the avocado oil, and adding a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds if I have them. Hugo adds delicacies from time to time as well - the tiny lime halves we once found in this salad were a revelation. He keeps the plant right there in the backyard!
Trader Joe’s carries jicama wraps, already thinly sliced.
A whole avocado would change the dressing from a vinaigrette to a creamy dressing. Would probably be very tasty but would fundamentally change the recipe. Happy experimenting!
This was delicious: bright and fresh with lots of contrasting flavours of sweet, savoury and spicy. BUT it was incredibly time-consuming to make, about two hours. Loads of prep and chopping.
This was a hit - people loved it. Made as written and presented on a tray.
Like many others I opted to sub mango for pineapple and added avocado and pomegranate. I was pleased to find that the leftovers (although not as pretty) were delicious two days later, and would in fact recommend preparing the dressing in advance to let the flavors meld. I also liked the texture and flavor of the semi-pickled onions in my leftovers, so I’d dress the onions ahead of time and add before serving. I would also like to add shrimp to make this a luncheon salad.