Jicama, Apple, Carrot, and Shrimp Salad

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2) Make your dressing. In a food processor or blender, mix the mint, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, garlic, salt and lemongrass. Pulse a couple of time to blend well.  You’ll have little specs of mint throughout the dressing.

NOTES:  This may very well become one of my new favorite salads.  It is light and crunchy and packed with flavor.  My jicama, apple, carrot and shrimp salad is easy to make and perfect for lunch or dinner.  I originally found this recipe at allrecipes.com but had to tweak it a bit for my taste.  It originally used cilantro which I don’t like so I substituted parsley.  I also doubled the amount of shrimp to make this meal heartier.  As I oven do, I got rid of the sugar and substituted a sugar substitute. (You can use any sugar substitute you want like Swerve or Lakanto monk fruit or use real sugar.  It is your choice.)  Those simple tweaks have made this one of my new favorite meals.  I’ve already made this three times this week and love it more each time.  YUM.

When making this, I took a little help from the grocery store and bought shredded carrots (this way I didn’t have to peel and cut into julienned pieces) and I bought pre-cut jicama sticks in the produce department.  This cut down on the prep time for me.  Once I bought the pre-cut sticks, I just cut those down into julienned shapes.  If you are buying a raw jicama, this is how you prep it.

How To Cut Jicama

Once you have selected a firm, unblemished jicama from the produce department, you are ready to prep it and cut it. 

1. Peel the Jicama: While the skin of jicama is edible, it is tough and fibrous and I don’t recommend eating it. Use a vegetable peeler or a knife to remove the outer layer.  Cut a small slice off the end to create a flat surface, then place that flat side down on a cutting board.  Then use the peeler or knife to remove the skin in downward strokes, following the contours of the jicama.
2. Cut Off the Other End: Cut off the other end of the jicama to create another flat surface. This makes it easier to cut and prevents the jicama from rolling around while you work with it.
3. Slice the Jicama: Now, you can slice the jicama into sticks first.  Cut the jicama in shapes similar to french fries first.  FYI:  I can find already cut jicama in my supermarket that are already at this stage making cutting the sticks into julienned pieces even faster.  Once you have the sticks, slice those into three or four pieces, flip them over and cut those into three or four pieces creating thin sticks known as julienned slices.
4. Soak in Water (Optional): If you want to prevent the cut jicama from turning brown and to keep it crisp, you can soak it in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice for a few minutes. This step is optional but can help maintain freshness if it is going to be sitting out for long or you aren’t ready to assemble the salad.

Be careful when cutting jicama.  It is a hard, sturdy veggie so use caution when using your knife.  Safety first.

If you haven’t eaten jicama before, you are in for a treat.  It has become one of my favorite vegetables.

What Does Jicama Taste Like?

I describe the taste of jicama like a cross between an apple and a cucumber.  It has the texture and bite of an apple or raw potatoe.  It is light and crunchy, a little bit sweet and absolutely delicious.

I use jicama in salads a lot.  Check out my Jicama Salad recipe for another great side option.  I also really like it when it is sliced thin into large rounds and used in place of a taco or tortilla.  You can buy these pre-cut in some produce departments and I’ve found them at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.  Think of them as a replacement for a lettuce wrap.  See my Jicama Shrimp Wraps recipe for inspiration.

You can make a simple apple carrot salad with an addition of jicama as the perfect side to a sandwich or burger and an apple jicama slaw would be great on top of tacos too.  The taste and crunch lend itself to lots of options.  You are definitely going to want to try it.

One important note about jicama, it can be peeled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days to maintain freshness. But, I find if you let it sit too long it gets kind of slimy.  This recipe is best eaten within two days (it didn’t last that long in my house).  So once you use it in a recipe, plan on consuming within 48 hours for the best and freshest taste and crunch.

To make this salad, start by cooking and chilling your shrimp.  Be sure they are cleaned and deveined and shell and tail are discarded.  (Better yet, save those tails and shells in a baggie in the freezer and use them to make shrimp stock or use to flavor soups like my Shrimp & Lobster Corn Chowder.)

Next, add the carrots, apple and jicama to a bowl.  In a blender or food processor, add the mint leaves, oil, vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and lemongrass paste.  Pulse a few times to get everything incorporated.

Note on lemongrass paste:  You can find lemongrass paste in a tube in the produce department.  It is a great condiment to have on hand and is often called for in Asian dishes.  It is a lot easier them buying actual lemongrass and trying to use that in the salad.  If you can’t find it, go ahead and omit it completely but if you have it, it definitely adds a little something special to the dish.

Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to combine.  I usually put this in the fridge to chill while the shrimp are chilling too.

After an hour, add the shrimp and toss again to combine.  This is by far, one of my new favorite salads.  Try it.

Looking for other shrimp salad recipes?  You know shrimp is my favorite shellfish so try some of these:

Shrimp Salad

Shrimp, Lemon, Dill & Orzo Salad

Shrimp, Summer Corn and Tomato Salad