Grilled Miso Chicken Salad

Ke nako! Can you feel it? Spring is (almost) here! Okay, it's quite a stretch, I mean we've barely started August, but the worst of winter is definitely over. The sun rises earlier (honestly whoever decided that waking up while it is still dark is an acceptable practice?), the days stretch longer and the ambient temperature is much milder. Here and there eager spring blossoms are bursting forth and the air seems heavy with promise.



Also, I'm getting fed up with the endless wintry soups (of which I've made a *lot*) and stews. As much as I love wrapping up with a bowl of warmth, after a few months it gets a bit old. Thank goodness for different seasons, eh? Truth be told, these interim bits between the seasons are pretty special. I mean, you get the best of both worlds. In one week you could have a picnic and an evening in front of the fireplace, fortifying your frozen innards with sherry.





You could opt for a sunny Sunday afternoon stroll after a friendly braai (bbq) and the very next day be huddled under your duvet, armed with steaming hot chocolate. Actually the second bit sounds a whole lot nicer at the moment, doesn't it?



The magic of spring for me also lies in the crunch of a raw cabbage leaf* under your teeth, the burst of colours adorning your plate and the fact that supper can be done and dusted in mere minutes. This chicken salad recipe takes the ordinary mayo-laden version and transforms it into something simpler and eminently more flavourful. The miso gives a lovely asian twist to this salad and adds a dash of savoury umami which happily ties everything together. The miso marinade incidentally is also fabulous on it's own - I'm thinking miso grilled chicken or prawns on the bbq come summer.





*Is it normal to really really like raw cabbage the way I do? Sans dressing or partner ingredients even?



Grilled Miso Chicken Salad 

2 tsp lemon juice