Tiger Fruit Salad

By Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit

When that summer peach or plum isn’t quite ripe enough to eat out of hand, marinate thin slices in a vinegary dressing for this refreshing riff on the Chinese dish Lao hu cai, otherwise known as tiger salad. This method also works beautifully on firm pears and unripe mangoes.


Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. underripe stone fruit (such as plums, nectarines, or peaches), pears, or mangoes, thinly sliced
• 1 serrano chile, seeds removed if desired, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• Lime wedges (for serving)

Recipe Preparation

• Gently toss fruit, chile, vinegar, sugar, and ½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit until fruit is spicy and flavorful, about 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, gather cilantro into a bundle and cut into 2"-long pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl, add scallions and celery, and toss to combine.

• Drain fruit in a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl; set fruit aside. Add oil, soy sauce, and lime zest to marinating liquid in bowl and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over cilantro mixture and toss to coat. Add reserved fruit and sesame seeds and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

• Transfer salad to a platter and serve with lime wedges.