You might not think the taste of an apple crossed with a raw potato sounds very appetizing unless you’ve tried jicama and realized that’s actually a good thing.
And if that description doesn’t have you running out to buy jicama now…
But seriously, when summer hits, and you’ve banished the thought of rutabaga and turnips, jicama jumps in and offers its crisp, refreshing bite. I turned Kat on to jicama a few weeks ago with this slaw, and she later made her mom fall in love with the veggie by pairing it with grapefruit. It’s just so light and fresh, it’s perfect for summer.
You can shred the jicama with a grater or mandoline, but I loved the knife practice of slicing the whole thing by hand. Ditto for the broccoli. You can easily buy precut broccoli slaw at the grocery store, but besides being cheaper, there was something satisfying about making all those green matchstick slivers.
Jicama, Broccoli and Orange Slaw
Original recipe I came up with when I had a jicama and also realized my broccoli was going to go bad. It’s based on a few scattered recipes for jicama and citrus salads, but mostly created by using The Flavor Bible to pair ingredients. I read that jicama goes even better with grapefruit than orange, but I’m not a fan of grapefruit, so orange it was.
- 1 small jicama
- 2 cups broccoli slaw
- 2 large oranges
- half a small red onion (about 1/4 cup diced)
- 1 lime
- handful of fresh cilantro
- salt
Peel and slice the jicama into thin strips. This can be done more easily with a grater or mandoline. Broccoli slaw can be purchased already cut, or you can get about 2 cups from the stems of two florets cut into matchsticks.
Peel one orange and cut it lengthwise (from top to bottom, not across the middle). Lay the half down flat, slice it lengthwise again, then slice both pieces together crosswise, into wedges less than 1/4 inch thick. Repeat for other half.
Dice the onion and combine with jicama, broccoli and orange in a large bowl. Chop the cilantro and add.
Squeeze in juice from one lime and half the other orange. You can add a little olive oil if you wish. I did, but I’m not sure it was necessary. Sprinkle with a little salt and toss.
Let slaw sit in the refrigerator at least an hour before serving.
