Culinary SOS: BLD’s fresh vegetable salad

Dear SOS: I’m a regular at BLD on Beverly Boulevard and absolutely love its fresh vegetable salad -- so simple yet all the ingredients blend perfectly! Would love the recipe, especially for the dressing!

Thanks,

Stephanie Swedlove

Los Angeles

Dear Stephanie: Fresh, lightly herbal, sweetened with a touch of honey and with just the right amount of tang, BLD tosses its homemade dressing with a wonderfully bright and colorful salad of crunchy fresh corn, edamame, roasted bell peppers and green beans, along with diced rich avocado and toasted cashews. They top the salad with fresh sprouts and a drizzle of nutty hemp seeds. It makes for a perfect side or light meal. Enjoy!

BLD’s fresh vegetable salad

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from BLD in Los Angeles. Hemp seeds can be found at select well-stocked markets as well as most health food stores.

Salad dressing

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped shallot

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons sweet rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup canola oil

1. In a blender, grind the ginger, shallots and rosemary to a paste.

2. Add the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, lemon juice to the ginger mixture and blend until fairly smooth.

3. With the blender running, slowly add the oil. This makes about three-fourths cup dressing, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. The dressing will keep, up to 3 days, covered and refrigerated.

Fresh vegetable salad

2 cups shelled edamame beans

1 cup raw fresh yellow corn

2/3 cup diced avocado

2/3 cup toasted and salted cashews

1/2 cup sliced or diced roasted and peeled red bell peppers

1 1/2 cups French green beans (haricot vert), blanched, shocked and chopped

2 cups diced jicama

1/2 cup salad dressing, more as desired

1 cup daikon sprouts

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

In a large bowl, combine the edamame, corn, avocado, cashews, peppers, green beans and jicama. Add one-half cup of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste, and add additional dressing if desired. Divide the salad among 4 plates and garnish with the daikon sprouts and hemp seeds. This makes about 8 cups of salad. Serve immediately.

Each of 6 servings: 387 calories; 14 grams protein; 29 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 26 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 10 grams sugar; 306 mg sodium.