Snow fungus is both crunchy and cool, making it very suitable for salads. The snow fungus salad with shrimp and pork served with shrimp chips and sweet and sour fish sauce is an incredibly enticing dish. Let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN to explore how to make these 2 mixed salads!
1. Snow fungus salad with shrimp, pork, cucumber, and cabbage
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Snow fungus salad with shrimp, pork, cucumber, and cabbage Serves 4
Snow fungus 100 gr Pork belly 300 gr Squid 200 gr Shrimp 200 gr Carrot 1 piece Cucumber 1 piece Purple cabbage 1/4 head Onion 1 piece Vietnamese coriander 10 sprigs Shallots 2 pieces Ginger 3 slices Fried garlic 2 tablespoons Roasted peanuts a little Vinegar 3 tablespoons White wine 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 10 tablespoons Sugar a little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh cucumbers
- You should choose cucumbers that are bright green, fairly uniform in color, with no dark spots or yellowing, as these are signs that the cucumber has been stored for too long and is starting to spoil.
- You should choose straight cucumbers, with little or no bending. Cucumbers that are long and uniformly sized are the type that are crisp and tastier than shorter and rounder cucumbers.
- Choose heavier cucumbers that are firm, with a smooth skin, and no blemishes, and opt for smaller ones as they tend to be sweeter than larger cucumbers.
- You should avoid buying cucumbers that bulge out, are large in the middle or have a big head and a small tail (and vice versa) as these are older cucumbers, with many seeds, hard, and not tasty.
How to choose fresh purple cabbage
- Choose medium-sized cabbage, round in shape, with the outer leaves not bruised or torn.
- The cabbage should have a uniform color and a natural fragrance, with no strange odors.
- When you hold the cabbage, it should feel heavy and firm, indicating good quality.
- You should avoid buying light or overly large cabbages, as they will be less tasty.
How to choose fresh and delicious squid
- You should choose squid that has bright and shiny colors. The brown part should be dark brown, while the body of the squid should be milky white.
- When touching the squid’s body, it should feel firm, have high elasticity, not leave any dents, and quickly return to its original state.
- Additionally, fresh squid will have clear eyes, not bulging out or leaking fluid. The head and body are tightly connected.
- Avoid buying squid that has a soft, mushy body, lacks elasticity, has a head and body that easily separate, cloudy pupils, and yellow fluid leakage, as these squids have been preserved for too long and are in the process of decomposition.
How to prepare Snow Mushroom Salad with Shrimp, Meat, Cucumber, and Cabbage
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Prepare the vegetables
Peel the carrots, wash them clean, then cut them into long strips suitable for eating and soak them in a bowl with a little filtered water mixed with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
Wash the cucumber clean, cut it in half, remove the seeds, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the onion, slice it thinly, and soak it in a bowl with a little filtered water mixed with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
Shred the purple cabbage thinly, wash it clean, and let it drain. Pick the leaves of the Vietnamese coriander, wash them clean, and chop them finely.
Soak the snow mushrooms in hot water to expand, then slice them thinly, blanch in boiling water to clean, and drain in a colander.
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Prepare shrimp and squid meat
After buying the meat, rinse it with water to clean, then use salt to rub the outer surface of the meat for about 2 – 3 minutes to remove the fishy smell, then rinse again with water to clean and let it drain.
For the shrimp, use scissors to cut off the antennae, remove the shrimp thread, rinse clean, and let it drain.
Clean the squid with water, remove the intestines, squid beak, backbone, and peel off the skin.
Then, to remove the fishy smell, rub the squid with diluted white wine mixed with water for about 3 minutes, then rinse again with clean water and let it drain.
Next, use a knife to cut the squid into bite-sized pieces.
How to clean squid and remove the fishy smell- Step 1: Combine smashed ginger, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of white wine, then rub the squid with the mixture and rinse with water.
- Step 2: After cleaning the squid, marinate it with 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and a little wine for 5 minutes, then rinse briefly before cooking.
See details: How to clean squid and remove the fishy smell
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Boil shrimp and squid meat
Add 1 liter of water to pot, place it on the stove over medium heat to boil the water. Once the water is boiling, add 2 shallots and 3 slices of ginger.
Next, add the meat, shrimp, and squid into the pot and boil for about 10 minutes until the shrimp and squid are cooked. Remove the squid and shrimp first, then boil for another 5 minutes for the meat to cook, then take the meat out and let it cool.
Once the shrimp and meat are cool, peel the shrimp, and slice the meat into thin pieces for eating.
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Make the salad dressing
Place a pan on the stove over medium heat, add 10 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and stir gently for about 3 – 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves evenly and the fish sauce thickens, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Once the fish sauce has cooled, pour it into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of chopped chili, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice, then mix well.
Tip: You can adjust the sourness and sweetness by adding more lime or sugar to suit your family’s taste!
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Mixing Salad
Put shrimp, squid, and meat into a bowl, then take half of the onion and add it to the bowl, pour in 3 tablespoons of prepared fish sauce, mix well, and let it marinate for 10 minutes.
Take the soaked carrots and put them into a large bowl, then add cucumber, purple cabbage, snow fungus, and the remaining onion, and also add the marinated shrimp, squid, and meat, mixing everything together.
Then add 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, add finely chopped Vietnamese coriander, and add 2 tablespoons of fried garlic, mixing everything again to finish.
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Finished product
You serve the salad on a plate, sprinkle some roasted peanuts on top, and invite the whole family to enjoy it with shrimp chips!
The snow mushroom salad is crispy and delicious thanks to the snow mushrooms, cucumbers, carrots, purple cabbage, along with the sweet taste of meat, shrimp, squid, and the fragrant flavor of Vietnamese coriander, fried garlic, and the creamy taste of roasted peanuts.
All of this combines with a sour, spicy, salty, and sweet fish sauce to create a very delicious and unique flavor. Wishing you success in making this salad!
2. Snow mushroom salad with shrimp, meat, and lotus root
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Processing
15 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Snow Mushroom Salad with Shrimp and Lotus Stem Serves 5 people
Snow mushrooms 200 gr Pork thigh 500 gr Shrimp 500 gr Sweet and sour pickled lotus stem 200 gr Carrot 1 piece Celery 1 stalk Vietnamese coriander 10 stalks Thai basil 10 stalks Roasted sesame 2 tablespoons Fried onion 1 tablespoon Chili 1 piece Red onion 2 pieces Ginger 3 slices Roasted peanuts a little Vinegar 25 tablespoons Fried onion oil 2 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning powder)
How to Choose Good Lotus Stem
- Good lotus stem is fresh, with a stem that is not too thick or too thin.
- Lotus stems that are slightly dark or muddy are not bleached and are safe to use.
- Avoid purchasing lotus stems that are pure white as they may have been bleached.
- Do not buy lotus stems that are soft, bruised, watery, or rotten; they should feel slimy and mushy to the touch.
How to prepare Snow Mushroom Salad with Shrimp, Pork, and Lotus Stem
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Prepare and boil shrimp and pork
Wash the meat thoroughly, put it into a pot with 0.5 liters of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 shallots, and 3 slices of ginger, cover the lid, place the pot on the stove, turn on the heat and boil the meat for about 20 minutes until cooked.
Once cooked, take the meat out and wash off the fat sticking to it, let it cool and then slice the meat into thin pieces.
Clean the shrimp, put them into the pot to boil with 0.5 liters of water. Once cooked, take the shrimp out, peel off the shell, and then use a knife to cut them in half lengthwise.
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Prepare various vegetables
Soak the snow mushrooms in a bowl with cold water for 1 hour, then rinse them with water and drain. After that, use your hands to break the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
The sweet and sour lotus stems you bought should be washed with water, then sliced thinly.
Peel the carrot, wash it, and then shave it thinly. Clean the Vietnamese coriander and mint, and chop them finely.
Wash the celery, remove the leaves, keeping only the stems, and then slice them thinly.
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Mix vinegar and sugar
Add celery, carrot, and snow mushroom into a large bowl gradually, then add 25 tablespoons of vinegar and 15 tablespoons of sugar into the bowl.
Then wear plastic gloves and mix all the ingredients well, then let it marinate for 10 minutes.
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Complete the salad
After marinating the ingredients for 10 minutes, transfer them to another bowl, then add lotus stem and mix well, add meat, shrimp, and 1 spoon of seasoning, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of roasted sesame.
Add shredded Vietnamese coriander and mint, 2 tablespoons of fried shallot oil, mix well, then serve the salad on a plate, garnish with some shrimp and mint on top, add some fried shallots, sliced chili, and roasted peanuts on top to finish.
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Final Product
You can enjoy the salad with shrimp chips and dip it in sweet and sour fish sauce for an amazing taste!
How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Snow Mushrooms
- You should choose light yellow snow mushrooms over white snow mushrooms because they have more nutritional value.
- Choose snow mushrooms that have a complete shape, are not torn, do not have mold on the surface, and are free from insects and other impurities.
- If the mushrooms have an unpleasant strange smell, especially a sour smell, you should absolutely not buy them.
How to choose fresh and delicious pork belly
- You should choose pork that has a balanced ratio of lean meat to fat, with a thick outer skin, fat about 1.5 – 2cm thick, and the lean meat tightly attached to the layer of fat.
- In addition, fresh pork belly will have a dry outer membrane, light red or bright pink color. When cut, the piece of meat should be bright pink, with white-pink, soft skin.
- Pressing the meat with your hand should show elasticity, the meat should be firm without leaving a dent, and dry without sticking to your hands is good meat.
- Absolutely do not buy if you see small grains like rice mixed in the meat because this could be tapeworm eggs, which are very harmful if ingested.
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- When buying shrimp, you should choose fresh shrimp, with firm and taut meat. The body should be tightly attached to the head and not leaking any fluid.
- You can pay attention to the shine of the shell. Fresh shrimp should have a shiny shell, not dull.
- Avoid choosing shrimp that have started to turn black, as those shrimp have likely been dead for a while.
How to choose fresh and delicious carrots
- Good carrots will have a bright orange color; choose those with a moderate size because if they are too large, they are old carrots, while those that are too small (except for mini carrots) are young carrots lacking distinctive flavor.
- Observe the green leaves of the carrot; the greener the leaves, the fresher the carrot, as it has just been harvested; conversely, if the leaves are not green, the carrot has been stored for a long time and is less sweet.
- Do not buy carrots that feel a bit soft when pressed, as these are withered carrots, which will not taste good when cooked.
The above article provides instructions for 2 ways to make snow mushroom salad with shrimp and meat that are uniquely delicious and incredibly simple and easy to make for anyone. Wishing you success with this recipe!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel: Grandma’s Kitchen and Vietnamese Soul
