Juicy Marbles

Vegan Salad Cups

WITH MEATY MEAT, NOODLES AND VEGETABLES

Cooking is 90% of my identity (the other 10% is cute animals — since I’m already oversharing). But even I, the master of kitchen madness, sometimes can’t summon the will to feed myself — especially when summer hits and the world turns into a 24/7 steam room. While I’d love to survive on watermelon alone for three months, my body unfortunately demands more. Or... have I just been brainwashed by the mass media into thinking I need to eat my body weight in protein? Something to unpack in therapy, probably. Either way, that’s when these crunchy, refreshing, meaty salad cups enter the stage. All they ask of me (and now, you) is a bit of chopping, some noodle boiling, and a quick pan toss. Almost manageable, even when the world’s on fire.

Ingredients

Saucy Sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (or neutral-tasting oil like sunflower, canola, or vegetable)
• ½ red chili (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp mint (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp coriander (finely chopped)

Salad cups
• 10-12 small salad leaves (like a baby gem, iceberg, or romaine lettuce)
• 50 g vermicelli noodles (dry weight, cooked according to packaging instructions)
• ½ large cucumber / 2 Persian cucumbers (sliced)
• ½ mango (peeled and thinly sliced)
• ½ cup / 10 g coriander (destemmed, loosely packed)
• ½ cup mint / 10 g (destemmed, loosely packed)
• 4 tbsp peanuts

Meaty Meat
• 1 Meaty Meat Pork-ish
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable, or canola)

SERVES 2 / 25 MIN

preparation

Saucy Sauce
1. Combine light soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, finely chopped chili, mint, and coriander in a bowl. Whisk together, making sure brown sugar is dissolved.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Meaty Meat
1. Remove defrosted Meaty Meat Pork-ish from its packaging.
2. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Heat neutral oil in a pan over medium heat. Add Meaty Meat Pork-ish and cook for 7-9 minutes, turning to ensure browning on all sides.
4. Once you are happy with the color, remove Meaty Meat from the pan and cut it into slices.
5. Serve immediately for best results.

Salad Cups
1. Prepare all the ingredients - clean salad leaves, cook the noodles, slice cucumbers and mango, and destem herbs.Assemble nicely on a large plate.
2. When you are ready to eat, build your salad cups. Take a salad leaf, and top it with noodles, vegetables, and Meaty Meat. Drizzle with sauce and transfer to your mouth.