Pickled Broccoli and Carrot Salad, by Reiko Hashimoto

The third book by Japanese chef Reiko Hashimoto, Japan, the World Vegetarian, includes a recipe for pickled broccoli and carrot salad. It features one of the country’s iconic foodstuffs: tsukemono, Japanese pickles. 

‘This recipe demonstrates the style of preserving fresh ingredients that is well known throughout Japan and that originated in Matsumae in the south-eastern tip of Hokkaido. I love the umami introduced by the kombu here,’ Reiko Hashimoto explains in the book.

After studying English Literature and embarking on a brief career as an air hostess, which enabled her to discover world cuisine, Reiko Hashimoto changed careers to teach foreigners living in Japan about the country’s cuisine. She now lives in London and runs Hashi, a Japanese cookery school that she founded in 2001, where she trains both beginners and chefs from all over the world. 

In her book Japan, the World Vegetarian, the chef seeks to showcase seasonal vegetables and cuisine. She also aims to share the basics of the Japanese diet, which is very balanced and uses few processed ingredients.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

20 g dried kombu

1 broccoli head (approx. 300–400 g), cut into bite-sized pieces 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into very fine matchsticks

80 g ginger, peeled and finely grated 

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon caster sugar

1–2 red chillies, sliced into rounds  

80 g pickled Daikon radish, cut into fine matchsticks

1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil

80 g walnuts

2 teaspoons shichimi pepper

Sea salt 

Method

Put 3 tablespoons of cold water in a container and soak the kombu for about 30 minutes, or until soft enough to slice. Remove the kombu, reserving the soaking water, and slice it into very fine pieces against the fibre. Set aside.  

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the broccoli for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and shake out as much water as possible but do not squeeze the broccoli.

Put the carrots in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt. Use clean hands to massage the salt into the carrot for about 3 minutes. The carrot will soften. Rinse well under cold water and leave to drain in a colander. Pat dry with kitchen paper to get rid of any excess moisture. 

Add the ginger, soy sauce, mirin, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the chillies to a large bowl. Pour in the water used to soak the kombu and give it a stir. Add the drained broccoli, carrots, pickled daikon, and ginger-soy mixture. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the walnuts for 5–6 minutes. Add the shichimi pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar and cook for a further 5–6 minutes, tossing the ingredients to coat the nuts in the seasonings.

Place the pickled veg mixture in a large bowl to share or in individual bowls. Scatter the toasted walnuts on top. 

Japan, the World Vegetarian (2020) by Reiko Hashimoto, is published by Bloomsbury Absolute.