When Steve and I stayed at Meliá Chiang Mai, I met with the hotel’s executive chef, Billy, who shared the recipe for this beautiful rainbow salad with Khao Soi dressing. It’s one of those dishes where fresh produce does all the heavy lifting, so don’t worry too much about following the ingredient list exactly. Use whatever vegetables are in season, preferably local and organic if you can find them. When the ingredients are fresh, it’s hard to go wrong.
Notes
Khao Ram Fuen (Tai Lue tofu) is a traditional Northern Thai tofu made from chickpea flour instead of soybeans. It has a soft, bouncy texture and a mild, slightly nutty flavor. If you can’t find it, regular firm tofu works well too. The texture will be a little different, but the salad will still be delicious.
You can make your own Khao Soi curry paste, but a good quality store bought version works perfectly for this recipe.
A jammy egg is cooked until the yolk is creamy and slightly soft, but no longer runny. Boil the egg for 6 to 7 minutes, then transfer it straight to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Peel once completely cooled.
I haven’t included exact amounts for the salad ingredients, as it depends on how large a salad you’re making and how many different vegetables you want to include. Aim for roughly equal amounts of each ingredient.
If you’re using cooked or roasted ingredients, let them cool completely before assembling the salad.
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Rainbow Salad with Khao Soi Dressing
1
servingIngredients
- Khao Soi Dressing
1 tablespoon Khao Soi curry paste
50 ml coconut milk
100 ml neutral vegetable oil
- Salad
Green Coral lettuce or another green lettuce such as frisée or Lollo Bionda
Red Oak leaf lettuce or another red leaf lettuce
Khao Ram Fuen (Tai Lue tofu), diced
Cooked wholewheat bulgur
1 jammy egg, halved
green soybeans (edamame), shelled
Orange sweet potato, roasted or boiled and diced
Purple sweet potato, roasted or boiled and diced
Yellow cherry tomatoes
Red cherry tomatoes
Toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Dressing
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the Khao Soi curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and the oil begins to separate.
- Stir in the coconut milk and let it simmer for another minute until the curry paste has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Slowly whisk in the remaining oil until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
- Salad
- To assemble the salad, arrange the ingredients in separate sections instead of tossing everything together. This creates a color block effect that makes the salad so eye catching. Line a large plate or serving platter with the lettuce, then arrange the other ingredients in neat sections.
- Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve the dressing on the side, or drizzle it over the salad just before serving.
