My Family's Fumi Salad

This salad is one from my childhood.  Every New Year's Day, my extended family would have Japanese food (my mother is Japanese).  We would only have this food one day a year, and this salad was an integral part of the assortment.  As I got older and started taking on the responsibility of preparing that New Year's food, I realized how simple this salad was!  It made me wonder why we only saved it for this special occasion. 

There are literally five ingredients to this salad and four ingredients for the dressing. Best of all, it takes 5 minutes total to prepare.  What could be easier?  It is such a wonderful side to any asian dinner.  It is light and refreshing.

Cabbage is such an under-utilized leafy vegetable (outside of coleslaw), and this is a wonderful way to bring it back to your table.  The most important thing about this dish is to prepare it the night before.  That allows enough time for the dressing to be absorbed and the flavors to really develop. 

I truly hope you take these few ingredients and share this salad with your family.  You won't regret it!

Ingredients

1/2 a head of cabbage

4 Tbsp slivered almonds

4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

4-5 green onions, chopped

1 package ramen noodles, coarsely crushed

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp finely ground pepper

1/2 C salad oil (we use canola)

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

Directions

1. Cut the cabbage into wedges and run it through your food processor's slicing disc.  You could always chop it by hand if you prefer.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, green onion, almonds, sesame seeds, and ramen noodles.
3. In a small bowl, combine the oil, sugar, pepper, and rice vinegar.  Whisk to combine.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. 
5. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.