Ingredients and Substitutions

These 8 easy to find Essential Asian Pantry Ingredients make the best-balanced noodle stir fry sauce.

Soy sauce - The base savory ingredient for soy sauce noodles. If you want to keep this Chinese noodle sauce recipe gluten-free, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos. You can also use a lower sodium soy sauce, if needed.

Sesame oil - Gives the stir fry sauce that nutty flavor.

Mirin - is a type of Japanese cooking wine that is slightly sweet. You can usually find this Asian Ingredient down the Asian or international isle of the grocery store. It will be labeled Aji-Mirin. You can also substitute with Shaoxing wine or cooking sherry, but you will need to add more honey or sweetener to balance the flavors of the Asian noodle sauce.

Honey - to sweeten to your desired taste preference. To make vegan, you can substitute with maple syrup or homemade date paste.

Rice Vinegar - Adds a punch of acid to round the flavors of the sauce. This ingredient is also found down the Asian or international isle of the grocery store. You can use apple cider vinegar as the substitute.

Please note: if we are adding this sauce to a recipe that calls for fresh lime juice, such as in our Asian shrimp and noodles, we hold the rice vinegar or use less lime juice.

Water - As you know, stir fried noodles absorb some liquid when you add the sauce. The addition of filtered tap water increases the volume of liquid and controls the sodium level.

Ground chili peppers or Sriracha sauce - of course this is an optional ingredient but seriously, this ingredient is not to be missed. Sometimes, we add ground Korean chili pepper if making a Korean recipe. If you plan on using all of your stir fry sauce within a couple of days, be sure to try our spicy Asian garlic chili sauce for a punch of flavor.

Oyster sauce - thick, rich, and filled with umami flavor. It gives the Asian noodle sauce that bit of funky flavor that we all crave with Asian recipes. You can find this ingredient down the Asian food isle or international isle of your grocery store. If you need a vegan version or have a shellfish allergy, there are vegetarian versions available made with mushrooms. In addition, there are also gluten free oyster sauces available.

How to Make the Sauce in Less than 5 Minutes?

• In a medium bowl add soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin (cooking wine), honey, rice vinegar, ground chili peppers or Sriracha sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. That's it!
• Use the delicious sauce in your next Asian noodle stir fry recipe.
• Store leftover sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks or the freezer for 3 months.

Garlic Free Advantage

This quick and easy noodle sauce is garlic free. The advantages of being garlic free are…

1. The sauce can be stored safely in the refrigerator between 2 to 4 weeks. Fresh peeled and chopped garlic can only last about 2-3 days in the refrigerator because of the risk of botulism. Even though this sauce has some oil and vinegar, it's not enough to store garlic for extended periods of time.
2. No belly woes for those that need a low fodmap diet. 
3. Say goodbye to the raw garlic flavored noodles with those trendy short videos. You know the recipes where you add hot oil over aromatics for a nano-second and then add in your noodles. We are not fond of the raw garlic flavor. If you add the Asian noodle sauce at the end of the cooking process, the garlic will still be raw.

Customize the Asian Noodle Sauce

This is where you get to have a little fun and personalize your sauce! The 8 ingredients listed are just a guideline showing you the ratios of savory, sweet, spicy, sour and umami flavorings. However, you can take it one step further by trying some of these substitutions or additions.

Noodle Pairing Guide

If you have been following us long enough, you know we are all about using what you have on hand. If all you have on hand is spaghetti noodles, use spaghetti noodles for your Asian stir fry. They are slurpable and delicious. If you have access to a robust international section of your grocery store or an international market, try these fun options.

• Korean Noodles - Discover traditional sweet potato noodles for their fun springy texture.
• Chinese Noodles - Try Chinese sesame noodles with Lo Mein or egg noodles to hold on to the delicious sauce.
• Thai Noodles - Pad Thai rice noodles are one of our favorites. They come in thin, medium and large cut.
• Indonesian Noodles - Fresh thin egg noodles, Chinese wheat noodles or even ramen noodles from the package all work well with Indonesian stir-fried noodles.
• Japanese Noodles - Try udon or yakisoba for noodle slurping deliciousness.

When to add the Sauce to the Noodles?

This homemade Asian Noodle Sauce is best when added at the very end of the stir-frying process. Here are the basic guidelines for stir frying Asian noodles.

• Start with oil and aromatics in the pan.
• Cook the proteins and remove.
• Stir fry the vegetables.
• Add in the cooked/prepared noodles to the veggies along with the cooked protein.
• Drizzle in your delicious 5-minute noodle sauce and stir fry until well combined and aromatic.
• Enjoy while hot!

Ratio of Stir Fry Sauce to Noodles

The amount of sauce you decide to add to the cooked noodles is based on your taste preferences.

A basic ratio of stir fry sauce to Noodles is to use approximately 1 tablespoon of sauce for each serving of noodles.

FYI a serving of noodles is typically about 2 ounces (56 grams) of dry noodles per person. Depending on the type of noodle this can be about 1.5 - 2 cups cooked noodles. (I know! We were sad to hear this news too, because who doesn't LOVE noodles)

If you want a stronger flavor, add more sauce. However, if you want a less savory noodle, add less. We like to start out with a little less, taste the noodle dish and add more as needed.

Getting Organized

It all started with the spring cleaning of the kitchen and organizing the pantry! Oh my, as you know that is a big job! After watching several videos with Marie Kondo (sweet Japanese lady known for her tidying up methods), we got the organizing bug.

We sorted, organized, analyzed the basic requirements from all the hundreds of sauces, spices and aromatics, created this guide for you and a helpful video. In this ultimate guide of essential Asian pantry staples, you will learn more about each ingredient, where to buy it, how to store it and a delicious recipe to try it in.

This is not an exhaustive list of every Asian ingredient known to man. Instead, this is a concise list includes of our everyday supplies OR common ingredients that are used in more than one Asian Cuisine. For very specific Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean ingredients, we will have special edition ingredient pantry posts for each of these special cuisines. So, let's get started!

13 Essential Asian Pantry Staples for the Everyday Cook

Are you new to East Asian cooking or are you looking to expand your repertoire of recipes? With these 13 cooking essentials, you are going to take your recipes to the next level. There are 5 flavors in Asian cooking: savory, sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter. When you blend them together - you get one delicious bite. Balancing the aromatics, spices, sauces, and ingredients together takes a little practice but we are here to help. Let's make your taste buds sing with these Asian pantry basics.

1. Rice

Naturally gluten-free, inexpensive, and filling, rice is one of the main carbohydrates of choice in East Asian cuisine.  It's a delicious way to lop up stir fry sauces, a hearty addition to congee soups, or even a fun addition to desserts like mango sticky rice. The rice varieties of East Asian cuisine include Jasmine rice, regular long grained rice, Sushi rice and glutinous rice. Going low carb? Try cauliflower rice or skip it all together and add more veggies.

How to Store Rice Please keep uncooked rice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 4 to 5 years. Please note that Thai Jasmine rice may lose some of its aroma with extended shelf life. Cooked and cooled rice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or frozen up to 6 months.

Fragrant Thai Jasmine Rice

This is our favorite long grained rice. It has a jasmine flower or pandan leaf aroma due to a compound occurring naturally in the rice and is less sticky making it perfect for Hong Kong Fried Rice. We always look for the Thai Hom Mali labeling which assures the highest export quality of premium Thai grown jasmine rice. You can purchase Thai Jasmine rice in your regular grocery store in the Asian Food section, online or in an Asian food market.

Regular Long Grain Rice

Your standard run of the mill long grain rice is grown around the world. It does not have the special Jasmine aroma but it can be found easily in a regular grocery store.

Japanese Short Grained Rice

It's also called sushi rice. This type of rice is stickier making it the perfect choice for crab sushi bake, tuna mayo rice balls or Korean rice balls. If your local grocery store has a VERY robust Asian food section, you may be able to find it there. Look for our favorite brands like Nishiki or Koshihikari or you may need to purchase traditional Japanese sushi rice at a dedicated Asian food market or online.

Glutinous Rice

Have you ever tried this type of rice also called sticky rice or sweet rice? It does not contain gluten but the texture is glue-like but chewy and completely addictive. This is not an essential ingredient per say but it is used in many different East Asian cuisines. A must have ingredient if you enjoy mango sticky rice.

2. Noodles

It's a noodle lover's paradise out there with so many choices. From fun textured glass noodles in our spicy tomato soup to soba noodle salad, there is something for everyone. Some noodles can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store, online or Asian Market.

Don't stress it if you cannot find what you need. You can substitute regular spaghetti or angel hair pasta and still make something extra delicious. Listed below are some of our favorites - choose the ones you like best.

How to Store Noodles: Fresh uncooked noodles are best used in a couple of days or for extended storage in the freezer for 3 months. Dried uncooked noodles can last a long time, even years if stored in a cool and dry environment.

Rice noodles

Rice noodles come in many sizes from super thin to super thick. We use a medium size noodle for Pad Thai and vermicelli sized noodles in our golden spiced noodle soup. The good news is that you can usually find these in the regular grocery store in the Asian food section and many are gluten free.

Lo Mein or Chow Mein Noodles

These noodles are typically made with wheat flour and eggs. Lo Mein are usually fresh noodles sold in the refrigerated section of an Asian grocery store. However, chow mein noodles can be dried. An easy substitution is Italian angel hair pasta.

Soba Noodles

Soba are made with buckwheat flour and sometimes wheat. If you are celiac, be sure to read the ingredients label. They can be enjoyed hot or cold like in our soba noodle salad with yuzu dressing. You can find Japanese soba noodles fresh or dried in Asian markets or online.

Udon Noodles

Udon is a delicious addition to Japanese and Korean recipes and are made with wheat flour, water, and salt. They are chewy, thick, and fun to eat in our tempura udon soup and Sukiyaki beef udon. You can find fresh or frozen udon in an Asian Market. Sometimes, you can find the dried version in the regular grocery store in the Asian section.

Rice Vermicelli

Super fun to eat, these extra thin noodles are made with rice flour and water. We soak them in hot water to cook and rinse in cool water to stop the cooking process. Rice noodles turn opaque when cooked. They are the perfect slurping noodle in our Vietnamese shrimp vermicelli salad. You can find rice vermicelli noodles online or in Asian market dried.

Glass Noodles

Sometimes glass noodles are referred to as cellophane noodles, fensi, bean thread noodles or Chinese vermicelli if made with mung bean starch. In addition, they can be made with sweet potato noodles like in our camote bihon dish from the Philippines. They have a very fun springy texture and turn translucent when cooked. Glass noodles can be found dried at the Asian market or online.

Others Noodles like ramen, homemade wontons for soup and many others are a delicious addition to the pantry.

3. Soy Sauce

When you think about Asian cooking, what's the first condiment you come up? We bet you guessed soy sauce, right! It's a wildly popular condiment used in Asian cuisine used to add a savory umami flavoring to dishes. We can't picture our pork and bamboo stir fry or dipping sauces without it.

Traditional soy sauce is made with four basic ingredients: soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. After the tedious process of fermenting, mixing, aging, pressing, heating, and bottling, its ready to add a pop of delicious flavor to your dishes. 

How to Store Soy Sauce: This Asian pantry ingredient can be stored at room temperature away from light and in a cool place, even after opened. If you do not use this condiment frequently, you can store in the refrigerator to maintain its flavor and quality. The four main types of soy sauce and substitutions are listed below.

Light Soy Sauce

Traditional or light soy sauce is the ingredient to be used when a recipe calls for soy sauce but does not specify which type. It is saltier, thinner, and lighter in color compared to dark or sweet soy sauce. You can find this at pretty much any grocery store in the US or in Asia.

Dark Soy Sauce

Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, a bit richer but less salty in flavor compared to light soy sauce. Is it essential? Our answer is no. However, because dark soy sauce is used in more than one Asian cuisine, it is listed here. It is usually used in dishes like tea smoked chicken or noodle dishes to add color. Unfortunately, this ingredient is usually only available at an Asian market or online.

Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap Manis)

If you want to cook a lot of Indonesian cuisine, sweet soy sauce would be a nice addition to your kitchen staples. It is much thicker than light or dark soy sauce and its sweet and savory. This item will need to be purchased at an Asian grocery store or online.

Tamari Sauce

This type of Japanese type of soy sauce that is made usually without wheat. Tamari makes it a good gluten free alternative. However, please note that we find that it is slightly stronger and saltier compared to light soy sauce.

Coconut Aminos

A good gluten free soy sauce alternative is coconut aminos. This sauce made from the sap of coconut blossoms and salt. We think it tastes less salty compared to Tamari sauce.

4. Fish Sauce

If you have ever smelled fish sauce, you know exactly the aroma we are talking about. Yep! Its stinky, funky and is a savory flavor bomb for many Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Pilipino cuisines. It's made with fermented fish and salt.

Packed with savory, funky and umami flavors that make recipes like prik nam pla and Thai turkey meatballs in a coconut curry sauce pop! You can usually find fish sauce in the US in the regular grocery store in the Asian food section. A delicious gluten free option brand that we use all the time is Red Boat.

How to Store Fish Sauce: It is shelf stable in a cool dark place with the lid on tight. If you do not use fish sauce frequently, we recommend refrigeration based on the expiration of the bottle.

5. Sesame Oil

It's nutty, aromatic, and so delicious! It's one of our favorite essential Asian pantry staples. Sesame oil is made by extracting the oil from sesame seeds. There are 3 types.

• Light Raw Sesame Seed Oil is the cheapest option but not very nutty because it is not roasted. It's usually used for light stir frying or cooking.
• Premium Roasted Sesame Oil is made from roasted white sesame seeds. Its dark amber color and the ingredient you need for an East Asian pantry. It is used as a finishing oil and is deeply nutty in everything from an quick and easy stir fried romaine lettuce to orange glazed salmon bites.  It's a pretty common ingredient you can find in the US grocery store down the international food isle.
• Black Sesame Seed Oil is made from black sesame seeds and is rich and nutty. This specialty ingredient is available at an Asian market or online.

How to Store Sesame Oil: Please store in a cool and dark location. As sesame seeds can go rancid, we recommend using it within 6 months.

6. Cooking Wine

Rice wine is an important Asian pantry essential, so stock up. It's used in marinades especially to get rid of gamey or fish aromas before cooking. Cooking wine helps tenderize meats, flavor soups and perk up stir fry sauces like our hot and spicy mandarin orange chicken. There are many different Asian cooking wines to choose from. If you cannot find rice wine, then just substitute it with cooking sherry.

How to Store Cooking Wine: This product can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. After you open it, try to use it within 6 months or store in the refrigerator for longer shelf life. If it starts smelling like vinegar, it has gone bad.

Shaoxing (Chinese Rice Wine)

We use Shaoxing wine for most of our Cantonese recipes. If you live in China and purchase Shaoxing wines from the Zhejiang province, you can get the "real deal" without any added salt. You could pour yourself a glass and drink it.

Unfortunately, if you purchase Shaoxing wine anywhere else in the world they add salt for tax purposes, and to sell it as a cooking ingredient instead of alcohol. Don't be pouring yourself a glass to drink unless you like a salty wine!

Japanese and Korean Recipe Cooking Wines

We prefer to use mirin, ashi-mirin, or even sake. These are Japanese rice wines and all three are a little different flavor profile.

• Mirin (Hon-Mirin) is a sweet Japanese rice wine. It is fermented the natural way and has a natural sweetness. It has a higher alcohol concentration, is more expensive and is available at an Asian Market, so it is harder to find.
• Ashi-Mirin is also a sweet Japanese rice wine. However, instead of the natural fermentation process they add sweeteners, salt, and other flavors to boost its flavor. Some robust US grocery stores have ashi-mirin down the international isle.
• Sake is a rice wine meant for drinking. The alcohol is not sweet like mirin but sometimes we use this if we are having a little whilst cooking.

7. Rice Vinegar

From the zippy sauce on General Tso's chicken wings to a tangy dressing for a soba noodle salad, rice vinegar is good shelf stable ingredient to have in an Asian pantry. You can find it at any grocery store. If not, feel free to substitute with apple cider vinegar or even plain white vinegar. When you are looking for rice vinegar at the grocery store, you are looking for plain rice vinegar and not sushi (seasoned) rice vinegar that has sugar and salt added.

How to Store Rice Vinegar: It can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight for many years.

8. Neutral Oil

We are going to go ahead and let you decide which type of neutral oil you wish to use. For stir frying, it is best to use an oil that has a high smoke point. In China, they use peanut oil but with so many nut allergies we stay away from this option. At home, we use avocado oil or in a pinch even olive oil. Olive oil does not have a high smoke point but it's a healthier option. 

How to Store Oil: It can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. It can last 6 to 8 months.

9. Aromatics

Garlic, green onions, and ginger are the trio of aromatics commonly used in our Asian kitchen. You may also like to add coriander (cilantro), fresh chilis to the list, or check post on essential Thai herbs and spices if you love Thai recipes. Fresh is best especially when making dishes like steamed fish. However, in a pinch try aromatic pastes or even substitute dried herbs and spices.

How to Store Aromatics: Fresh green onions, ginger, chilis and coriander are best stored in the refrigerator. To keep cilantro fresh a longer time. Place the ends in a glass of water and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Change the water daily. However, garlic is best stored at room temperature.

10. Sriracha or Chili Sauce

Have you tried our recipe for Asian Chili Garlic Sauce? A little something spicy along with savory, sweet and sour is what makes Asian recipes so addictive. It is like a party in your mouth. If you crave something spicy, but are short on time, Sriracha sauce is easily assessable at most regular grocery stores down the international isle. Mix a little Sriracha sauce in some Kewpie mayo with lime for a delicious topping to a Vietnamese crab pizza.

How to Store Sriracha Sauce: Once opened, store in the refrigerator until the best due date. Some say it can last up to 3 years, but we use up ours way too fast to test this theory.

12. Cornstarch or Potato Starch

We bet you already have this staple in your pantry! Cornstarch or potato starch is essential to thicken Asian sauces and to velvet proteins. For example, our spicy lotus root stir fry uses a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Velveting meats and other proteins with cornstarch or potato starch coats the exterior to seal in the juices during the cooking process. Learn how to velvet chicken and other proteins in our recipe post for Mandarin orange chicken. You can find cornstarch and even gluten-free versions at any local grocery store.

How to Store Cornstarch or Potato Starch: These ingredients are shelf stable and can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container away from heat and moisture. Check the expiration date but this stuff lasts a very long time.

13. Oyster Sauce

If you are looking for "The Magical Sauce" that can take any dish to the next level, it is oyster sauce. The flavor is deep, savory, rich, slightly sweet, and funky at all the same time. Oyster sauce is the star ingredient in our Chinese Eggplant with Garlic sauce and plays a supporting role in recipes like beef noodles with spicy XO sauce.

There are a couple of different types of oyster sauce there is the standard oyster flavored sauce, premium, vegetarian made from mushrooms and gluten free options. You can usually find the standard oyster flavored sauce in the regular grocery store down the international isle. However, you may have to go online or to an Asian market to obtain the other selections.

If you are looking for a vegetarian option without any MSG, we have used the Wan Ja Shan vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce (available on Amazon) for guests that have a shellfish allergy, and it was quite nice.

How to Store Oyster Sauce: Once opened, store oyster sauce in the refrigerator. Follow the expiration date on the bottle to determine when it is time for a new bottle.

1. White Pepper

The food energy of ground white pepper is a warming-hot food according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). White pepper compared to black pepper is spicy but with additional floral notes and has an earthy flavor. It's a delicious addition to any Asian pantry. Enjoy recipes like hot and sour soup, stir fries and literally anything that needs a little pop of heat. You can find white pepper in the regular grocery store down the spice isle. Of course, you can substitute with black pepper, but white pepper is more traditional.

How to Store White Pepper: Please store away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture and it should last you a few year.

2. Sesame Seeds

We are just smitten about toasted sesame seeds and their delicious nutty flavor and aroma. If you are heavy into Japanese or Korean cuisine, you are going to want to keep either black or white sesame seeds in your pantry. Whether we are whipping up a batch of black sesame nice cream or sprinkling a few toasted sesame seeds over our garlicky stir fried green beans, having sesame seeds in stock is a very good thing.

How to Store Sesame Seeds: Once opened they can be stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight for 3 to 4 months. However, they last longer in the refrigerator for up to 6 months and in the freezer up to 2 years. Sesame seeds can go rancid, especially if unroasted.  If they taste bitter or smell odd, throw them out.

4. Dried Mushrooms

Bring on the "Shrooms"! Even if all you have in your kitchen is rice and dried mushroom, you can make something amazing with just a couple of other pantry ingredients. One of our favorite is dried shiitake mushrooms.

They have a deep woodsy earthy flavor even more intense than that of fresh mushrooms. Try a few in soups, stir fries, rice paper dumplings, vegan radish cakes and more. If you like a crunchy mushroom for salads or stir fry be sure to check out our post on how to prepare wood ear mushrooms.

Dried mushrooms, especially wood ear mushrooms, you will probably have to purchase at an Asian grocery store or online.

How to Store Dried Mushrooms: Once opened please store in a sealed container away from moisture, heat, and light. Dried mushrooms, such a wood ear mushrooms, should not be soaked for longer than 2 hours. Only reconstitute enough for the dish you are preparing and use them the same day. The reason is that the soaking of mushrooms can cause the proliferation of bacteria and you may get sick. It is best to be safe than sorry.

5. Nori - Gim - Laver - Dried Seaweed

Are you rolling your eyes at the thought of eating seaweed? We think it tastes a little savory, slightly sweet and a bit like the sea. It's packed with umami flavors, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If your kitchen is Japanese and Korean forward, you are going to want to stock up.

You may want to purchase dried nori sheets for sushi rolls, roasted seaweed snacks for scooping up baked sushi or kombu for soups. In Japan they refer to seaweed as "nori". In Korea they call it "Gim" and in the UK, they call it laver. Seaweed is dark green (almost black) and comes in many different forms depending on what you are using it for. The nori sheets used for rolls are around 7 inches x 8 inches with indents so that it can be cut to size. The darker the sheets the better the grade of nori.

Before living in Japan, we were pretty indifferent to nori (seaweed) but that is before enjoying delicious onigiri, isobeyaki mochi or seaweed sprinkles on our rice. Now, we are hooked.

How to Store Dried Seaweed: Store seaweed in a cool, dark, and dry place inside a sealed container or plastic sealed baggie. Do not place in the refrigerator or freezer as if it gets moist it will get soggy. Many come with the little desiccant packages inside to prevent moisture.

6. Miso Paste

Have you ever tried miso soup? Miso paste gives the soup it's rich umami flavor. The paste is savory, sweet and funky from the fermentation process of soybeans, salt and koji. There are four main types of miso paste: white, yellow, red, and mixed.

Miso is delicious in marinades, as pop of flavor in sesame chicken meatballs, sauces, stews, dressings, stir fries, with ramen or even as miso butter. We used yellow miso paste to top our four ingredient baked miso salmon.

How to Store Dried Miso Paste: Store it in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process in a sealed container. Refer to the best as date for expiration.

7. Tofu

Kickup the protein level in your meals with the versatile pantry staple - Tofu. This kitchen ingredient is made from soybeans. One of our favorite foodie excursions is to go to the Kung Wo Beancurd Factory in Sham Sui Po, Hong Kong. Be sure to try the tofu pudding (dou fu faa) or a bowl of fresh warm tofu right from the pot.

As most of you won't have the option of going to the wet market, the next best option for purchasing tofu is right in the refrigerated section of a regular grocery store. There are 3 standard tofu options in a US market: soft, firm, and extra firm. The come in blocks and surrounded by a solution to keep it fresh.  We use firm tofu in our savory vegetable pancakes, shrimp stuffed tofu soup, and mapo tofu.

How to Store Tofu: Store tofu in the refrigerator and use the expiration date on the package. To keep leftover tofu fresh, cover the tofu block with fresh water. Place the leftover tofu in the refrigerator in a covered container and use within 2 to 3 days.  

8. Hoisin Sauce

Last but not least we have sweet and savory sauce that is used a lot in American-Chinese recipes. Made with fermented soybeans, five spice powder, sesame seeds, sugar and more. This one ingredient adds loads of flavors to stir fry recipes.

Try our recipe for Peking beer butt chicken recipe this summer with that sweet sticky sauce that turns dining into a finger licking good experience. Hoisin sauce is usually available in the International section of your regular grocery store.

How to Store Hoisin Sauce: After opening, be sure to store it in the refrigerator where it can generally last 3 to 6 months.

Time to Stock Up!

You can make hundreds of delicious Asian dishes with these Asian kitchen food staples. Many of these can be found at your local grocery store. Other specialty items can be found online. Have you ever tried the online Asian supermarket, Weee?  They have a nice selection of fresh and shelf staple items that can be delivered to you. It's time to stock up so you are ready to make some healthy quick and easy Asian recipes.

Sweet Guilt Free Treat

I bet you are wondering how this sweet invention came about, right? When you have a huge hankering for a healthier pumpkin latte, but can't afford an overpriced coffeehouse beverage - unique recipes are born! We wanted a guilt free treat with natural sweeteners and no added fat. After countless rounds of testing (and enough caffeine to fuel a rocket), we finally nailed it!

Packed with sun-dried sweet prunes, this coffee sauce not only caffeinates, but it's also high in fiber and sorbitol to get things moving. It's ready in just 20 minutes, can be made a week in advance and it freezes fabulously.

Ways to Use Coffee Sauce

The sky is the limit on the different ways that you can use this dessert sauce. It's so rich with deep caramel sweetness and warming spices, we could eat it by the spoonful. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this pumpkin coffee sauce.

• Use it as a substitute for applesauce in your baked recipes. 
• Drizzle a little on top of a pumpkin affogato dessert.
• Add a pop of flavor to baked pork tenderloin recipes. Slather on a little sauce during the last few minutes of baking.
• Make yourself a delicious cup of hot cocoa and add a few tablespoons of the prune sauce.
• Rise and shine with a dollop of pumpkin spice coffee sauce in your morning oatmeal, yogurt or on top of your coffee pancakes.
• Drizzle a little dessert sauce on spiced pumpkin breads, brownies, and more.
• Spoon a little over gingerbread cake. It has all the flavors of the holiday to take your baked goods to the next level.
• Flavor your hot or iced lattes or even bubble tea.
• Kick up your tiramisu cups with a layer of coffee prune sauce between the espresso-soaked lady fingers and mascarpone cream.
• And the list goes on…

Ingredients

Dried Pitted Prunes - we cut them into quarters so they could easily absorb all the coffee flavors. Not only do they naturally sweeten but they add a delicious caramel-like flavor to the sauce.

Instant Espresso Granules + Boiling Water - You can also use instant coffee or even instant decaffeinated coffee, but you will need to increase the amount to achieve a robust coffee flavor. If you are looking for an easy way to enjoy the coffee flavor, without instant espresso, we love this simple 3 ingredient coffee slush.

Pumpkin Pie Spice - is a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.

Cinnamon - a little extra ground cinnamon is not only warming but makes recipes taste sweeter.

Light Unsulfured Molasses - gives the sauce that complex sweet holiday caramel flavor. We used Grandma's original unsulfured molasses for this prune recipe and our gingerbread cookies. Be sure to use not to use full flavored or blackstrap molasses as they are too strong. If you do not have molasses, you can add more maple syrup to your desired sweetness level.

Maple Syrup and Vanilla - is a delicious addition to round out the flavors of the coffee and prunes. The vanilla must be a little camera shy as it did not make it into the photo.

Recipe Tips

• Measure the dried prunes by packing them into a US measuring cup. Every prune may be a different size and many of you do not own a scale, so this might be the best measurement for you. If you have a scale, please use between 8 to 9 ounces (226 - 255 grams) of pitted dried prunes.
• Chop the prunes so they can absorb the espresso flavor and plump up.
• Boil the water for the espresso either in a tea kettle, in a pot on the stove top or in the microwave.
• Use a high-speed blender and not a food processor if you want the coffee dessert sauce to be smooth.
• Adjust the additions of maple syrup and molasses to your desired sweetness level.
• Add a shot or two of spiced rum, Frangelico, or Kalua if you are feeling extra saucy! 

How to Store?

Pumpkin spice coffee sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in a covered container or frozen for up to 3 months. Place the sauce in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

What's the difference between coffee sauce vs syrup?

Coffee sauce is thicker and richer, often containing ingredients like mashed fruit or milk for added flavor. We used prunes. In contrast, syrup mainly consists of juice liquids. Coffee sauce is typically used as a topping for desserts or in lattes, while coffee syrup is meant for beverages like cocktails and specialty coffee drinks.

Secret Hacks for Ultra Crispy Chicken Wings

Say goodbye to blubbery and rubbery fatty chicken wings forever!

Have you have tried our super easy baked wing dings or baked General Tso's chicken wings? If so, you already know the basic concepts. We originally first posted this recipe in August of 2011. We wanted to share with you the new and improved recipe and hacks.

✨The key to making extra crispy chicken wings is rendering the fat!

Healthy World Cuisine's crispy wing recipe hacks:

1. Ensure the chicken wings are completely dry. This means taking each individual wing in a paper towel and patting it dry thoroughly. 
2. Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking to ensure even cooking.
3. High oven temperature of 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).
4. Season the chicken wings right before baking as salt can draw out moisture.
5. Don't overcrowd the baking sheet!
6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven.
7. Bake wings with the skin side up first.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken wings - Halved at joints and reserve the wing tip for chicken soup broth. You will use the middle part called the "wingette" and the meaty "drumette" sections for this recipe.

Garlic powder - used to season the wings and in the hot honey sauce.

Paprika - pop of heat.

Olive oil - and the high temperature of the oven helps the chicken wings get crispy and golden brown.

Hot Honey Sauce Ingredients

Asian fusion finger foods starts with a well balanced sauce to excite your taste buds.

Honey - sweet and sticky and keeps the sauce thick. You can exchange the sweet sauce with maple syrup, but the sauce is thinner.

Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha - gives these wings a kick of heat. You can adjust to your preferred level of hotness. You can also experiment with other hot sauces of choice. For example, try Franks or tabasco sauce but note that each have a different flavor and heat level.

Soy sauce - add the savory flavor.

Rice wine vinegar - adds the sour flavor. It balances out the sweet, spicy, savory flavors which are essential to all Asian recipes.

Dried Red Pepper Chili Flakes - for garnish if you want to raise the heat index.

Step by Step: How to Make Honey Hot Chicken Wings?

Step 1 and 2: Dry the chicken wings well. Holding each wing in a paper towel to really get all the juices off. Next, place the wings in a large bowl. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and oil. Give them a good toss to make sure each wing is coated.

Step 3 and 4: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees f (232 degrees C). Bake the chicken wings skin side up for 25 minutes. Turn the chicken wings over. Continue baking for another 8 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Properly cooked chicken wings will have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (73 degrees C).

Step 5 and 6: Whilst the chicken wings are baking, make the honey hot wing sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter and allow it to melt. This is the start of a delicious golden-brown butter. Then add the sriracha or garlic chili sauce. Followed by garlic powder, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 7 and 8: Toss the chicken wings in the hot honey sauce. If you want to kick up the heat a few notches, add a few dried red pepper flakes and enjoy.

How to Use

It's confession time. No judgement please but we made 4 batches of this recipe in the last 2 weeks alone. Not only is it more budget friendly to make your own at home but it tastes so much better than the store bought. Delicious sweetened and slathered on rice cakes, cloud bread, drizzled over oatmeal, or enjoyed in baked goods, nice cream, smoothies, energy bars, truffles and more.  

But of course, we can't forget how delicious black sesame seed paste is unsweetened in savory dishes like marinades, Asian dipping sauces or even added to noodle dishes. The number of ways to utilize this delicious seed paste is only limited by your imagination.

What is Black Sesame Seed Paste?

In Japanese, this recipe for black sesame paste is sometimes called kuro neri goma, and in Chinese, it goes by hēi zhī ma hú. It has been a staple in Asian kitchens for decades. Black sesame seed paste is made using toasted black sesame seeds that are first ground into a fine powder.

After more time grinding, the sesame seeds will start to release some of their natural oils. Finally, either a liquid sweetener like honey or sesame oil for the unsweetened version is added to thin the paste until the desired thickness is achieved.  Essentially, sesame seed paste is like a nut butter but made with seeds instead- just like our pumpkin seed butter.

What does it taste like?

The roasting of the black sesame seeds is what intensifies its unique flavor. It also gives it that distinctive dark charcoal black color.  Toasted black sesame paste is deeply nutty, earthy, naturally lightly sweet with a slight hint of bitterness. In addition, the tantalizing aroma is out of this world.

Depending on what additions you add to the sesame seeds, it will add another dimension to the flavor. For example, honey is often used to sweeten the paste and it gives it a slightly firmer texture.  Depending on where the bees collected the nectar from, it may impart a lightly sweet floral or citrus flavor. On the other hand, the addition of sesame oil will intensify the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds.

Hop on this new popular food trend in Asia! You have no idea what you have been missing out on. Living in Japan we always looked forward to black sesame mochi donuts. Whilst in Hong Kong, you can't pass up a freshly made black sesame cereal.  We just can't seem to get enough of it.

Ingredients (Sweet and Savory)

Black Sesame Seeds - organic and unhulled are preferred to hulled seeds. The unhulled variety contains more health benefits and has a deeper flavor. But, at the end of the day - use what you have on hand. The seeds can be either toasted or raw. If your sesame seeds are raw, it will just take a bit longer to toast them.  If you have extra sesame seeds, try them in a homemade furikake seasoning. 

Honey (Sweetened Paste) - raw organic is the healthier option but use what you have on hand. If you want to make this recipe vegan, try maple syrup or agave in a 1:1 exchange for honey. We haven't tested this recipe with alternative sweeteners like liquid stevia or monk fruit.

And/or

Sesame Oil (Unsweetened Paste) - toasted and either regular or black sesame oil. In the perfect world, organic and extra virgin cold pressed oil would be lovely. If you do not have sesame oil, you can exchange it with a light-flavored oil such as olive, grapeseed, walnut, avocado, or peanut oil. Note that this will slightly alter the flavor profile.

How to Make It: Different Methods

• Toasting Sesame Seeds: Sauté the "toasted" black sesame seeds over low heat for approximately 5 minutes until aromatic and warmed.
• Grinding: Use a Food Processor, High-Powered Blender or a mortar and pestle. Grind the seeds until it resembles a fine, sandy texture. You may even want to grind extra black sesame seeds for gluten free sesame cookies.

• Scraping Down: Periodically pause the device and scrape down the sides. This helps to move the seeds down to the blades of the machine or center of the mortar.
• Blending: Continue to pulse and blend the black sesame seeds until they start to extract the oils from within the seeds. If your blender or food processor allows it, continue grinding until a paste is formed.

• Honey or Sesame Oil Addition: For the sweetened version, add honey 1 tablespoon at a time or until the desired texture. (Total between 4-5 tablespoons.) Craft the unsweetened version by adding 1 teaspoon at a time of sesame oil until you reach the desired texture. ( Approximately 1 to 1.2 tablespoons)

Variations and Substitutions

• Water Instead of Sesame Oil: To keep the fat down, add 1-2 tablespoons of water instead of sesame oil. Please note, that this will reduce the days it can be stored to 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. In addition, it will not be as shiny and there is a higher risk of spoilage.
• Sweetener Alternatives: To keep the condiment vegan, exchange the honey with 1:1 maple syrup, agave, dates, or date paste. We do not suggest using sugar granules as this may make the paste gritty.
• Flavor Additions: Add a little bit of vanilla extract, ground cinnamon or cocoa powder while mixing .
• Noodle Sauce: Make a delightful Asian noodle sauce! Mix natural peanut butter, chili sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar with the black sesame paste. Adjust the amounts based on your taste preferences.
• Thinning the Paste: Consider thinning the paste out with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Recipes like ice cream, black sesame milk or lattes are easier the mix when the paste is thinner.

How Much Paste?

The yield of sesame seed paste can vary based on several factors. These factors include the quantity of sesame seeds used, their moisture content, and the efficiency of the blending process. However, as a general guide:

Starting Amount: If you begin with 1 cup of sesame seeds, you can typically expect to get approximately ½ to ⅔ cup of sesame seed paste.

Yield Variation: The yield may vary depending on the specific type of sesame seeds, their freshness, and the blending equipment used. Some seeds release more oil than others, affecting the final consistency of the paste. Were you meticulous scrapping the black sesame paste out from the blender or food processor. Did you find yourself performing lots of "quality control" testing? (smiling)

Adjustments: You can adjust the thickness of the paste by adding liquid (like honey or sesame oil) during the blending process.

How to Store

Refrigerator: Prepared black sesame paste can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a month.

Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze for up to 6 months in a freezer safe container.

Consistency: When black sesame seed paste is refrigerated, it becomes firmer and thicker. When frozen, it becomes a solid mass. When you are ready to use it, allow the paste to come up to room temperature. This makes the paste more pliable and easier to measure.

Helpful Recipe Tips

• Toast the Seeds: Sauté over low heat for approximately 5 minutes to avoid burning. Alternatively, you can roast sesame seeds in a 350°F (175°C) oven. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn.
• Blend the seeds when slightly warm to allow their natural oils to release.
• Use at least 1 cup of seeds. This quantity ensures proper circulation in the food processor or high-speed blender for smoother blending.
• Hang in There: It takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes to allow the seeds to release their oils.  Scrape down the sides of the blender, food processor or mortar periodically.
• Correct Consistency: When the black sesame seeds start releasing their oil the sesame powder starts to stick to the sides. You can continue to blend or add honey or sesame oil to get the paste moving. We chose to keep the paste thick as you can always thin it out later.

Recipe Hacks Learned the Hard Way!

• Sesame seeds have their own internal oil. Please start out with less honey or sesame oil and just add a little at a time. Start with one tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Adjust according to your desired sweetness and consistency.
• If you have a powerful food processor or quality high-speed blender - you may not need to add any honey or sesame oil at all.
• Don't overtax your blender or food processor so it does not overheat the machine.  FYI - smoke from the food processor or a funny burning smell coming from the machine is not a good thing.
• If you have a sad little blender like us, you may need more honey or sesame oil to get the homemade black sesame paste going.
• Try using a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds but be prepared to work those arm muscles.
• The more sesame oil or honey you add the thinner the black sesame paste will be. The consistency depends on how you use the recipe. For example, lattes, "nice" creams and sesame pie swirl cookies will do better with a thinner consistency. Whereas, if you need to use it for the filling of a mooncake you will want it thick enough to roll into a ball.
• To measure honey, prime your tablespoon with a little oil or sesame oil before measuring so that it slides right off the spoon.
• When the sesame paste is refrigerated, it will thicken up almost to the texture of a sticky playdough. After you set the sesame seed paste out at room temperature for about 15 minutes, it will return to a more spreadable liquid state.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Do You Like Dates?

No, we are not talking about that hot and sexy guy or girl you met at that party last week. We are talking about those sun sweetened dried dates from a date palm tree or from the Ziziphus jujuba tree.  Not only are dried dates super delicious as a snack, but date paste is fabulous way to sweeten absolutely anything without having to use refined empty calorie sugar.

In this ultimate date paste guide, we are going to show you how to prepare date paste, store it and use it. In addition, we are going to compare the Chinese red date (jujube) to the Medjool date, when to use each type of date and their different nutritional values. So, hold tight and get ready for the ride!

Nature's Candy

Did you know there are over 200 types of dates in the world? Who knew?

Dates are a type of drupe (stone fruit) much like a nectarine or peach. The flesh of the fruit is surrounded by a pit. They grow in bunches on date palm trees or Jujubes trees, like how grapes grow on a vine.

Dates can be eaten fresh or dried. However, they intensify in sweetness when dried as they have less water content. That is why we call dried dates - Nature's Candy. Every breed of date has a little different flavor and sweetness level.

If you need to monitor your blood sugar, you will still need to watch how much date paste you consume in one sitting. However, it has been noted that dates do not cause a large spike in blood sugar levels like refined sugar does in a scientific study done by Alkaabi et al.

Common Dates used in the Culinary World

• Medjool
• Deglet Noor
• Barhi
• Halawi
• Khadrawi 
• Jujube (Chinese Red Date)

Today, we are going to zero in on the Medjool and jujube dates. With just 2 ingredients, you are going to be able to make a delicious date paste from scratch at home to use as a sugar replacement for all your recipes.

What do Medjool Dates Taste Like?

Dried Medjool dates are huge in size. Don't let their brown crinkly skin fool you. They are tender with a fun tooth chew and taste like a honey vanilla brown sugar. Medjool dates are at least twice as sweet as a red date, but they are kind of all one note of flavor sweet. You can purchase them either with or without the pit. Learning how to pit a Medjool dates is super easy. Check out our video below to see how.

These dates are native to Morocco but are now grown in warm climates like California, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Sliced Medjool dates are a perfect addition to our Autumn Kale Salad.

Health Benefits of Medjool Dates

Did you know that dates are served to break a "fast" during Ramadan?  Dates are a super quick source of energy.

• Easy to digest
• High glucose count
• Extra potassium, magnesium, and fiber

These health benefits make dates the perfect first food to eat after fasting from early morning to night.

Recipes Ideas Using Medjool Date Paste

Medjool date paste is delicious in our Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins and our Easy Pumpkin Empanadas. Have you tried our Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs? Our BBQ sauce is sweetened with date paste and is killer good!

Another use for Medjool date paste is to use as a natural sweetener for curries like our Thai Red Curry Salmon or our Gluten-Free Coconut Curry Laksa. Many Asian curries, require a good balance between spice, sour, sweet and savory. Date paste is a healthier alternative sweetener compared to brown sugar or palm sugar.

Have you ever tried this date paste to sweeten your coffee or tea? Blend your coffee or tea in a blender with a little date paste and non-dairy creamer of choice for a special creamy caffeinated treat to power up your mornings or afternoon slumps.

What Do Red Dates (Jujubes) Taste Like?

On the other hand, jujubes are about ½ the size of a large Medjool date. Their skin is dark ruby red, crinkly and the inside flesh is a brownish red color. Red dates are sometimes called Chinese red dates, Chinese jujubes, and are also called Hóngzǎo (红枣) in Chinese. Jujubes are native to China but can be grown in other warm and dry climates.

They are soft and chewy and a deliciously natural way to sweeten our eggless marbled chocolate peanut butter banana bread. However, their skin is a little more firm compared to a Medjool date. We think that red dates are a little less sweet compared to Medjool date and have a light caramel flavor.  In addition, they have a complex iron boosting flavor and intensity when used in recipes like our Chinese Pear Dessert Soup.

Red dates pits are a little more difficult to remove as the flesh likes to adhere to the pit. Watch our video below to learn 2 different options for pitting a Chinese jujube.

Health Benefits of Jujubes

Jujubes is the new healthy super food. In addition, they are well known as adaptogens. Adaptogens are herbs that help your body adapt to stress from daily hectic life. After the hectic week we have had, we could all use a little help. Do you agree?

Chinese red dates are nourishing for your blood, especially after a women's period and childbirth. In a scientific study by J. Chen et al, jujubes in TCM have been used to harmonize the spleen and stomach, to harmonize the nutrient and defense, and to calm the mind.

Recipe Ideas Using Jujube Paste

From the dawn of time, Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has used jujubes to Feed Your Spleen: Nourish Your Body in the form of Red Dates and Goji Berry Herbal Tea, mild hot pot soup broths and sweets like our Hong Zao Bread and more.

Have you ever tried using jujube paste in your morning oatmeal or cereal? You have no idea what you are missing out on! Not only does this date spread recipe add a natural sweetness to oatmeal or your Hot Black Sesame Cereal, but it gives you that extra boost to tackle whatever the morning throws at you.

Nutritional Difference between Jujube Dates and Medjool Dates

Both types of dates have many nutrients and minerals.  Red dates are higher in iron, vitamin C and protein compared to the Medjool date. However, Medjool dates are higher in potassium and magnesium. Granulated sugar has 49 calories for each tablespoon WITHOUT any nutritional value. Refined sugar is just a bunch of wasted EMPTY Calories. Dates, on the other hand, are packed with nutrients but are not a calorie free food.

Jujube Paste vs Medjool Date Paste, who is the winner? Let us know in the comments below.

The nutritional values below are for about a 1 tablespoon (21 gram) serving of prepared jujube paste or Medjool date paste compared to 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar. Note that the jujube paste on the left side of the photo above is much darker than Medjool paste shown on the right side of the photo.

How to Choose the Freshest Dried Dates?

Dried dates can be found all over the world. However, to make sure you pick the freshest, be on the lookout for these issues.

• Avoid dried dates that are so dried that they do not give with a little squeeze.
• Dates that have formed odd crystals and start to form white spots.
• They should not be congealed into one solid mess. You should be able to recognize each individual date.
• Mold or funny odd smells. They should smell sweet and delicious.

How to Make Date Paste

So, what is date paste? Date paste is a well-blended mixture of dried soaked dates that have had a chance to soften in water.

Do you have dates? Perfect then you already have one of the 2 ingredients. The only other item needed is water. So, there you have it. Do you have 2 ingredients and 5 minutes? Then, let's get started.

Equipment: A high powered blender or food processor is best. However, we also have a simple hack using everyday items if you do not own one in the recipe below.

Ingredients: Dates and hot water (By the way you can use any type of dried date you desire in this recipe.) We have demonstrated making Medjool and jujube paste as these are the 2 most common dates, we use in the Healthy World Cuisine kitchen.

Method: Soak dates in enough boiling hot water to cover for at least 15 minutes. Next, we drain the dates but keep that golden liquid.

Process and blend well in a high-powered blender or food processor. We add a few tablespoons of water from the soaking liquid to get it moving in the food processor. In addition, we frequently stop to push down the sides and blend well. Usually, we end up adding at least about ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of soaking juice to the date paste mixture.

No Food Processor or High-Powered Blender Option

No blender, No Problem!

We have only tested this method making jujube paste but it also works well. First and foremost, wash red dates, especially if they are not organic.  If you live in Asia like we do, you will note that the way that fruit is dried naturally might not be up to your usual cleanliness standard. Next, we remove the pits or at least cut the jujubes in half.

Then, bring your water and dates up to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until your dates smash easily with back of spoon. Strain and reserve that delicious liquid and serve as a tea for later.

Place the dates over a wire mesh sieve device and use a spoon or spatula to press the fruit pulp through, keeping the skin and/or pits behind. Now you have delicious jujube date paste. Cool and store for your next recipe.

How To Use Date Paste in Baking and Cooking?

The ratio of date paste to sugar really depends on the recipe. However generally speaking we use a ratio of 1:1. However, in some cases we use less like in our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins recipe whereas we use ¾ cup date paste instead of 1 cup brown sugar. You will have to experiment with your recipes to get to the sweetness level you desire.

Date paste may make some baked goods a little darker in color and they may be a little more cakelike or denser in texture. However, we love the little extra natural caramel flavor you get from the dates that you will never get from plain sugar.

For cooking, we usually add 1 tablespoon of date paste at a time until we get to our desired sweetness level.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Ways to Enjoy!

• Slather a little over toast.
• Replace sugar in baked goods.
• Sweeten coffee and our Easy Coconut Iced Chai Tea Latte.
• Swirl a little in oatmeal.
• Add to our Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Learning how to make Jujube Paste and Medjool Date Paste is a delicious way to add a nutrient packed sweetener to many recipes while keeping it vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, whole30 approved and paleo friendly.

Why You Need this Salad!

You know how sometimes your body just craves healthy…but your taste buds want something more? This easy fall salad has just what you need to balance the healthy greens with a lip-smacking sweet spicy and sour citrus dressing that will have you going back for seconds and thirds.

The best part is that this side dish just screams fall with fresh seasonal harvest vegetables. A wise man, our dad, used to tell us when vegetables and fruits grow together, they blend well together in a recipe. He has never been wrong. Take his advice and give this easy fall harvest salad a try.

Easy and a Crowd Pleaser

1. Great textures from the crunchy toasted crush almonds, crispy radishes, tender protein packed edamame beans and chewy dates.  
2. The world's best Thanksgiving meal side salad.  
3. Vegan, paleo and gluten-free
4. Great way to clean out the refrigerator and use up all those little bits and bobs of vegetables in the crisper.
5. Warming vegetables and therapeutic
6. Zippy Citrus Ginger Jalapeno Maple Dressing
7. Whips up in less than 15 minutes
8. Can be made in advance and is great dish to pass.
9. Budget friendly - kale is super cheap

Great Textures

What our family loves most about this kale salad is all of the great textures. You have the crisp kale leaves, crunchy almonds, tender edamame beans and chewy dates. It is alike a party going on in your mouth. Feel free to try Easy Roasted Pepitas seeds, pecans or even sunflower seeds in exchange for the almonds.

We are all about using what you have on hand. Be sure to wait to add your toasted nuts until you are just ready to serve so they stay crunchy. 

Thanksgiving Side Dish

How beautiful would this Autumn Kale Salad be on a Thanksgiving dinner table with all of the other fixings!?! After all, you need to balance out all of that Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast , Grandma's Apple Pie , Instant Pot Apple Cider and Grandpa's Secret Stuffing with something green.

Detox Salad with Health Perks

Not that we planned it this way, but our Fall harvest salad is happily vegan, paleo friendly and gluten-free. However, you can certainly make this salad a hearty main dish by adding a little grilled chicken, tofu or salmon. If you need to watch your carbohydrates, then swap maple syrup in the citrus dressing with a sugar alternative of choice and cut back on the dates.

According to Harvard University, kale has many vitamins and mineral and glucosinolates. These glucosinolates are anti-inflammatory and can protect from cancers and heart disease.

If you like kale, be sure to try our One Pot Creamy Kale Pesto Pasta, Baked Spicy Salmon or our  Sweet Potato Kale Hash for a delicious autumn and winter dinner idea.

Ingredients: Clean Out the Refrigerator

You can add any vegetable you would like in this kale date salad with ginger lime dressing. We just looked in the refrigerator to do a little clean out. Radishes, edamame beans, dates, limes and jalapeños were in the crisper and ready to be used. Some delicious roasted Spicy Rosemary Butternut Squash, kabocha squash or acorn squash would also go well here. How about some thin carrot slices?

You see where we are going here. Open your refrigerator. See what you have. Put it in your salad. If vegetables are in season and grow together, they can be put in a recipe together.  You can't go wrong.

We love dried medjool dates as they are so nourishing but how about some Chinese red dates or maybe some dried cranberries. You could even add chopped apples or pears but be sure to add a little squeeze of citrus straight away as they can oxidize and brown.

Warming Vegetables and Nourishing

Kale is one super nutritious green vegetable with loads of antioxidants and minerals and is relatively easy on the pocketbook. As we transition from warm weather to cooler weather, we need a dish that can get us there without too much shock on the system. Integrating warming ginger and jalapeños is a great way to heat up this salad. In addition, dates and kale are warming foods in Chinese medicine.

Eating very cold or raw foods make it difficult for your body to absorb the nutrients. That is exactly why we serve this recipe at room temperature and massage the kale. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is built on the theory that the body must use a lot of extra energy to heat the body to digest the food.

If a person already has a weakened spleen qi then they cannot digest the food properly. Please take a moment to read Feed Your Spleen: Nourish your Body to learn more about this.

Why you need to Massage your Kale?

With this delicious Autumn Kale Salad, the process of massaging your kale (with olive oil and salt) prepares it in a way that make it much easier to digest.

Please remove the tough stem from the kale leaves. You can do that by holding the stem and pulling off the leaves or you can do this with a knife or culinary scissors or well. Once you massage the kale leaves with a little olive oil and salt, they change from the pale light green blue color to a vibrant forest green color.

We like to massage our kale for 2-3 minutes or just until the leaves change to a deep green and are tender. Do not over massage or your salad will be mushy.

Kale's taste profile and texture changes after it is massaged. Before massaged this healthy green is really tough and difficult to chew and bitter. However, after kale is massaged is makes it tender and changes from bitter to more naturally earthy sweet notes.

Zippy Citrus Ginger Jalapeno Maple Dressing

This kale salad dressing recipe is going to change your mind about kale forever. We know that some individuals are like …kale?  Really? Isn't that something that you use to decorate around food? You need to trust us after you massage your kale and add this spicy, citrus and slightly sweet salad dressing, you will be YES for KALE.

These 5 little ingredients are balanced so perfectly. They complement the massaged kale well.

• Lime juice
• Maple syrup
• Fresh Grated Ginger
• Jalapeno
• Salt and pepper to taste