Banana Blossom Salad Recipe
This Banana blossom salad is a unique side dish that pairs well with many Asian dishes. Look for Banana Blossoms at your local Asian market. This salad can be made with chicken, fish, or shrimp, or made vegan or vegetarian by omitting meat.
“Yum Hua Plee” is a name for the traditional Thai version of the salad. It is also popular in Vietnamese culture. It is also a popular Filipino dish. Banana Blossom recipes tend to be popular across all of those cultures.
About Banana Blossoms
Banana blossoms, which are sometimes also called banans flowers are the blossoms from a banana tree. They are an edible flower that is considered a delicacy and can be found fresh at roadside stands and farmers markets, wherever bananas are grown, but are especially prevalent in Asian markets.
Banana blossoms are an ingredient often seen in Thai or Vietnamese cooking recipes.
How to Use Banana Blossoms in a Recipe
Clean the banana blossoms and remove the tougher outer leaves. Often it is useful to soak them in water or vinegar for a bit.
This salad is my take on the classic banana blossom salad. This recipe has a tangy lime addition that adds a nice zing to the flavors. If you want, add more lime to the dressing portion of teh recipe and then also use it on other fruit salads, such as pineapple or mango. The dressing also works well as a dip for strawberries and kiwi.
The salad is made with tender young banana blossoms and fresh mint. The salad is simple and delicious and can be made ahead of time. It is also quite versatile. You can substitute the basil for cilantro, the mint for Thai basil, or the chives for the scallions.
In this recipe, I have used chicken. But you can substitute other meats or leave meat out and add any favorite veggies to make the dish suitable for a vegan diet. The dressing is also great over other salads, such as avocado and cucumber.
The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. If you prefer it cold, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
What to Serve with Banana Flower Blossom Salad
Thai, Vietnamese, and other Asian dishes go great with this salad.
Shrimp Pad Thai goes well with this salad.
So does Thai Red Fish Curry.
Or, try this Thai Coconut Squash Soup for example.
Banana Blossom Salad Recipe
Banana Blossom Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 small banana blossoms, finely julienned
- 2 cups poached chicken breasts, shredded
- 4 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 ruby grapefruit, halved and each piece torn into 3 more pieces
- 4 tbsp crisp-fried shallot flakes
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 6 tbsp chili fish sauce
- 2 tsp Vietnamese mint, chopped
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- For the white vinaigrette:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- To make the white vinaigrette, pour the water and white vinegar into a bowl and stir in sugar and a dash of salt until the latter two ingredients dissolves; leave in the fridge until necessary.
- To make the salad, peel of the outer tough leaves of the banana blossom and chop it into very fine juliennes using a Japanese mandolin.
- Throw them into a bowl and pour in enough cold water to submerge them completely.
- Add a splash of white vinegar into it and let them soak for half an hour.
- Drain the banana blossom strips out and give it a nice shake to get rid of the tiny white baby buds.
- Wash them under running cold water, drain and give them a squeeze to remove any excess moisture.
- Transfer them into a clean bowl and drizzle the prepared white vinaigrette over them.
- Toss them briefly to coat well and drain out any excess vinaigrette.
- Place the shredded chicken into another bowl and add a splash of lime juice into it.
- Sprinkle a dash each of salt and black pepper over them and throw in the grapefruit chunks.
- Scatter the chopped mint on top and drizzle the chili fish sauce over them.
- Toss them all together until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- To assemble, pile up the above salad into 4 serving plates and sprinkle the banana blossom jullienes over them.
- Give it a nice toss to mix well and sprinkle a tbsp of chopped peanuts as well as crispy shallot flakes on top of each serving.
- Serve immediately.
Last Updated on April 26, 2023 by Carleen
