Tiger vegetable salad (lao hu cai) is a fierce, fiery salad bursting with bold flavor. Fresh green chilies, scallions, garlic, and heaps of cilantro come together in a punchy mix of soy, vinegar, and sesame oil. Crisp, herbaceous, and unapologetically spicy — this is the kind of salad that bites back (in the best way).
I had never had this salad before, and I have to say it was pretty much everything I’d ever want in a salad. My whole family really liked it. It is really light and fresh with great herb flavor and a nice hit of spice. You can adjust the spice level by substituting a thinly sliced green pepper for the chilies if you don’t like spicy food.
This dish originates from northern China and some regions add tomato, onion or cucumber as well as mint to this dish, all which sound great and I will probably add some of those next time I make this. We ate this as a side dish Check out some of my other great salads too!
Tiger Vegetable Salad (Lao Hu Cai)
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 small garlic clove minced finely
For the salad:
- 1 Thai chile or jalapeno stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems washed well and cut into 2 inch sections
- 4 celery ribs washed, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch slices on the bias
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 serrano chili stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped salted and roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
- Wash and cut the vegetables and toss with the sesame seeds and peanuts. Add the dressing and toss well and serve immediately. Do not dress ahead of time or the cilantro will wilt.