Poolside Sesame Slaw

I wanted this salad to be as flexible as what’s in your fridge. I’ve made it with all and some of the vegetables below, but it would be unquestionably excellent with thinly-sliced raw asparagus, radishes, barely-cooked green beans, and more. For the crunch element, you could use salted cashews, sunflower seeds, or even toasted black and white sesame seeds (I’d use just a few tablespoons of seeds). For protein, we brushed 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs with a 1:1 mixture of dark soy sauce and honey, grilled them, then sliced them thin, but you could also do the same with tofu here, for an entirely vegan salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons olive or a neutral oil
• Salt and Sriracha to taste

SLAW

• 4 cups thinly sliced mixed carrots, cucumber, celery, bell peppers, sugar snaps, and/or snow peas
• 2 cups thinly sliced red, green, savoy, or napa cabbage
• 1 cup chopped salted peanuts
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts)
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro, if you wish
• About 1 cup Miso-Sesame Dressing (above)
• 1 pound grilled chicken thighs, thinly sliced (optional, see Note)