This spicy natto on bed of spinach and quinoa recipe is made with French mustard, lemon juice, garlic and sriracha sauce. Can natto look and taste good?
Natto is one of the remaining acquired tastes of Japanese cuisine. This ingredient has so many qualities going for
If most people love sushi, which is essentially a plain carbohydrate topped with a slice of dead fish, you would think they would enjoy soy beans? Likewise, if so many people around the world love cheeses, liquid from the cow’s breasts subsequently fermented, perhaps they would appreciate leaving the soy beans to ferment a bit as well, to develop a bit of extra flavor? In these two contradictions, that’s all there is to natto: fermented, soy beans. What’s not to love?
Perhaps, what surprises food enthusiasts when trying natto for the first time, is the sliminess and sticky texture of the beans.
A spicy natto with sriracha, garlic, lemon juice and French mustard
To make both the stickiness and overall flavor easier to enjoy, this spicy natto on
Since it also helps that the dish looks presentable, I used a round white plate and a variety of backgrounds to give natto first-timers some extra inspiration. Natto is very nutritious, plant-based, packed with vitamin K, and yes, it can taste yummy too.
Spicy natto on bed of spinach and quinoa
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked quinoa (20 mins cook time average)
- 8 oz spinach
- 6 oz natto (2 packs, 3 oz each)
- 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp French mustard
- sriracha sauce for decoration and extra spicing
Optional
- olive oil for the French dressing
Instructions
- Rinse the spinach and slowly steam in a lid-covered pan using the water from the rinsing, nothing else.
- Make the French dressing by chopping the garlic very finely, squeezing the lemon juice, adding the French mustard (optional: olive oil) and mixing well.
- In two large plates, put half the quinoa in the center, then top with the steamed spinach, then one natto box per plate.
- Evenly sprinkle the dressing over each plate, then splash a bit of sriracha for extra spiciness.
- Serve immediately.
This was great! I loved it, I used red quinoa because it’s firmer and my favorite. I even did this as a cold salad once but the natto was warm and added a little fresh cilantro and Worcestershire and fresh scallions. I also like using a sauce by Huy Fong called Sambal Oelek, it’s similar to sriracha but not as sweet and not hot, but just unique. I got it on Amazon after having it at a restaurant. I love getting creative w/ natto and add it to soups or chili, etc. I eat it daily, gray source of protein, full of K2- it’s not just good for bones, heart and brain, but now studies show it gives smooth skin (anti-aging, less wrinkles)
Have you ever tried making your own? I’m part of a Facebook group called All about #Natto. It’s so easy with an instapot, a steamer basket that fits it, dried soybeans and a pack of frozen natto to use a tsp as starter. If you’re interested I can’t point you to some great resources- as inexpensive as natto is, it’s even cheaper to make and fun. Thanks for the recipe!