Have you ever heard of the tonic herb Ashitaba? Neither had I before, my friends over at Sun Potion kindly sent me a jar of this beautiful green powder. I later learned, Ashitaba has been used in Japanese culture for years as a beauty and longevity supplement. It’s a great source of B12, contains Chalcones which stimulate the Nerve Growth Hormone, it inspires longevity and is considered a Shen-Spirit Tonic, beneficial to the wellbeing of the heart.
To put it simple it’s great for you but how do you use it? Personally, whenever I am working with a new ingredient, I have to smell and taste it in it’s raw from. When it comes to a powder often times the taste isn’t all that helpful, but the smell tells me a lot. I think Ashitaba smells very similar to a light matcha powder. As I developed this recipe, I kept matcha in the back of my head for inspiration as I was looking to make something crisp and fresh. In my mind, there is nothing more crisp and refreshing than a lightly dressed crunchy salad.
I ultimately came up with a Creamy Vegan Ashitaba Ranch Dress. This dressing can go on just about anything, if you wind up with extra it also keeps well in a mason jar or tupperware. I hope you enjoy.
Ingredients:
4 Tbls Safflower Oil
3 Tbls Lemon Juice
2 Tbls Agave
2 Tbls Dijon Mustard
2 Tbls Hemp Seeds
1 Tsp Ashitaba
1/2 Tsp Salt
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a deep cup or bowl
- Emulsify with an immersion blender
- Depending on how creamy you would like your dressing add more oil and or water little bits at a time to thin out or thicken dressing
- Taste and tweak based on preference
- Construct your salad and toss with dressing
- Enjoy!
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