Global
Gado-Gado
A vibrant Indonesian salad with steamed vegetables, fresh greens, and creamy peanut sauce.
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients using the UK food composition tables, so treat it as a guide rather than a measurement. A typical recipe lands within about a quarter of the true figure. Makes about 3.
Ingredients
- 200g green beans
- 2 carrots
- 200g cabbage
- 100g spinach
- 400g potatoes or sweet potatoes
- 1 cucumber
- Optional: bean sprouts, tofu, boiled egg
- Peanut Sauce: ⅓ cup peanut butter, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp chili paste, 1 tsp honey or sugar, water to thin
Cooking Steps
Prep vegetables
Slice and steam green beans, carrots, cabbage, spinach, and potatoes.
Make peanut sauce
Mix peanut butter, soy, lime juice, chili, and honey. Add warm water to reach pourable consistency.
Assemble bowl
Arrange cooked and raw vegetables together.
Serve
Drizzle peanut sauce generously and top with crushed peanuts or tofu.
Optional Enhancements
- Nut-free: use sunflower seed butter
- Greens: kale, bok choy, Swiss chard
- Protein: tofu, chickpeas, tempeh
Plant & Growing Tips
Green Beans
- Direct sow after frost.
- Need warm soil and full sun.
Carrots
- Sow directly; need loose soil.
- Water consistently.
Cabbage
- Cool-season crop.
- Start indoors and transplant.
Spinach
- Prefers cool temperatures.
- Partial shade in summer.
Potatoes / Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes: plant early spring.
- Sweet potatoes: need heat and sandy soil.
Cucumbers
- Need trellising and consistent moisture.
Natural Pest Control
- Nasturtiums deter aphids.
- Garlic spray repels whiteflies.
- Row covers protect cabbage and spinach from moths.
Harvest
Green Beans
- Pick young and tender every few days.
Carrots
- Harvest when firm and brightly colored.
Cabbage
- Cut heads when tight and full.
Spinach
- Harvest outer leaves.
Potatoes
- Harvest when foliage dies back.
Cucumbers
- Harvest before over-maturing.
Storing & Freezing
Vegetables keep 2–3 days refrigerated. Peanut sauce keeps 1 week refrigerated; freezes well.
