Jicama Slaw with Fresh Herbs & Arugula is one of those little “side” thoughts that quickly morphed into a beautifully composed yet extremely simple, no-cook bite. At first, we just wanted a little something lite and crunchy to munch and enjoy on the side with veggie tacos. By the way, one of our recipes for veggie tacos will be coming soon. We eat things in tortillas so often that it’s hard to pick what to post first, but we will, promise.

So What in the World is Jicama and What’s So Good About It?

• Jicama (pronounced hee-cama) is a roundish root vegetable native to Mexico, as well as Central and South America.

• The texture of jicama is a bit firm like a potato, and it’s even a little starchy, too. The taste is sweet and similar to an apple or pear.

• Jicama is low in calories and high in some vital nutrients. It’s high in immune-boosting vitamin C!

• There’s plenty of potassium in jicama. Potassium helps maintain muscle mass and may also help lower your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

When shopping for jicama in the produce section, look for firm, round tubers with very healthy skins. Damaged or soft skin can indicate low-quality harvest. To prepare jicama for this recipe, wash thoroughly and remove the stringy roots, and then peel the outer brown skin. To learn more about Jicama, you might want to check out this helpful article.

So then we added in fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro. And then we plated everything on a cozy bed of peppery arugula and gave it a toss. The next thing we knew it was like, BAM, a full-blown delicious helping of greens was born! And after just a few bites, we started craving even more crunch. That’s when we baked some plain corn tortillas and called this slaw, “lunch.”

Anyhow, back to this splendidly crunchy no-cook Jicama Slaw with Fresh Herbs & Arugula. This dish was intended to be a slaw, and that’s all. But once we realized the variety of inviting flavors in each bite, we knew it had the potential to be more than slaw.

To make this slaw into a bonified balanced meal, you’ll need to add in some chickpeas or tempeh or some other protein for a bit of oomph and a few additional healthy, and necessary, calories. We think adding just a few black beans on top, or even some seasoned crunchy chickpeas like we used in THIS RECIPE would taste fabulous dropped across a bowl of Jicama Slaw with Fresh Herbs & Arugula. Even a few sliced almonds could add another interesting and tasty layer of nutrients.

And if you’re reading this and saying to yourself that you’re more of a. “I really don’t like to cook kind of person,” this recipe is SO designed for you!

Since this delicious dish is totally raw, we hope that it will become your new go-to side. So the next time you’re looking for that side dish to share at a get together that isn’t that same old same old, such as a mayonnaise-drenched slaw or potato salad from your local grocery store with the “GOOD” deli (insert big sigh here), try this slaw.

And for all of the non-cooks out there, by the time you can say “jicama” three times fast you can whip up a batch of this easy no-cook, plant-based, vegan and gluten-free slaw.

By the way, have you noticed there’s no added oil in this recipe? And it has no problem staying fresh for days in the fridge, either. So, it’s a terrific dish to make-ahead. Plus, since it keeps well, it’s ready to enjoy right up until the time you’ve snagged the last serving.

You’re going to love how this new combo tastes super refreshing! Pin this recipe for safe keeping and share it wherever you like. And when you try it or if you have a question, leave us a comment on this post. Your comment helps the next reader understand more about the recipe and is much appreciated by all of us veggie-loving recipe reading types.

Happy eating!

Jicama Slaw with Fresh Herbs & Arugula

VEEG

• 15
  Prep:
• 0
  Cook Time:
• Yield: 6 Servings

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Easy-peasy pleasing is how we would describe our Jicama Slaw. And what started as a simple side of slaw to serve with corn chips, veggie tacos, and other casual favorites, soon turned into a delightfully refreshing side salad. And then when we placed it on top of peppery arugula, we were amazed at how delicious the arugula paired with the slight sweetness and tanginess of the slaw. This recipe makes about six servings when made to include the six cups of arugula greens. We think it would taste great as a complete meal when topped with seasoned roasted chickpeas that we used in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups of Jicama, peeled and shredded - We used one average sized jicama that yielded about two cups worth of shreds.
• one medium-sized apple washed thoroughly and shredded - We used a colorful and organic, Pink Lady variety of apple. 
• one medium carrot, peeled and shredded
• a handful of fresh parsley washed and chopped - Once chopped, our handful ended up being about two tablespoons of parsley.
• a handful of fresh cilantro washed and chopped - Again, we ended up with about two tablespoons.
• 8 tsp of freshly squeezed lime juice - That's the juice of about two average-sized limes.
• 8 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice - That's the juice of about one medium-sized lemon.
• 1 tsp of pure maple syrup
• an optional pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt or another salt, to taste
• an optional four to six cups or so of arugula or another fresh leafy green of choice - We used about 6 cups of arugula, loosely but generously filled.
• serve with a plate of sliced limes on the side for those who enjoy another squeeze
• optional baked corn tortilla chips for serving - We baked organic corn tortillas  to go with this recipe.

Instructions

1. Wash, peel chop or shred each of the fruits and vegetables as described in the ingredients list other than the arugula.  Then toss the prepared fruits and veggies with the fresh herbs in a mixing or salad bowl.
2. Next, either directly in the bowl or in a small dish on the side, combine the lime juice, lemon juice, pure maple syrup, and a dash of salt to taste. If you've mixed this up separately, pour the dressing over the shredded fruits and veggies. Either way, gently toss the veggies in the lite dressing to distribute the dressing evenly.
3. Serve as is or piled high on a bed of peppery arugula or another green of choice. To make this a meal read the content above for some terrific suggestions that will round this dish out nicely, such as topping it with the seasoned roasted chickpeas we prepared for this other delicious dish!

Notes

• If you're as crazy about cilantro as we are, feel free to add a smidge more than the two tablespoons.  The same is true of the parsley and other ingredients; make this recipe your own and have it your way!
• Nutritional info divides this salad into four equal servings and does not account for the addition of tortilla chips or extra slices of lime.

Nutrition

% DV

Calories Per Serving: 47

• Total Fat 0.3 g 0%
• Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0 %
• Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
• Sodium 77.3 g 3 %
• Carbohydrates 11.8 g 4 %
• Fiber 2.5 g 10 %
• Sugar 6.9 g ---
• Protein 1.5 g 3 %
• Vitamin A 46 %
• Vitamin C 39 %
• Iron 5 %
• Calcium 6 %