Jicama Salsa over a Seafood Taco Salad (and What is Jicama?)
Jicama salsa is the perfect topping for this bright taco salad topped with lime infused fish and shrimp.
If your grocery store has ethnic produce, you may have seen Jicama before, but, if you're anything like us, your eyes probably just went straight from the ginger root to the turnips on the produce shelves, and never gave these poor little tubers a second thought.
What is Jicama?
Jicama is a Mexican vine with an edible tuberous root. The root is also known as Mexican Yam or Mexican Turnip.
But, even though it looks like a turnip, it is actually a member of the bean family.
Similar to rhubarb, where all parts of the plant are poisonous except for the edible stalk, all other parts of the Jicama plant, beside the root, are poisonous.
Cooking With Jicama
Once you get past the papery, tan exterior to the white jicama meat, you'll find it to be quite crisp.
The root is mostly water (nearly 90%), so it is a good source of dietary fiber. It is also high in Vitamins C and A as well as calcium.
The flavor of jicama is sweet like a pear and starchy like a raw potato. In Mexico, is usually eaten raw or cooked in soups or stir fries.
Our Jicama Salsa Recipe
We really liked the Jicama flavor straight up, so we decided to use it fresh in a jicama salsa. By adding pineapple and lime juices, along with some spices, we were able to really bring out the sweetness in this unique veggie.
It was the perfect, tropical salsa to go with some fish. So, we served it with a seafood take on a classic taco salad.
Jicama Salsa over a Seafood Taco Salad
Ingredients
For the Salsa
- 2 c Jicama root (about 1 lb)
- 1 c pineapple chunks, quartered (almost a whole 20 oz can of pineapples in juice)
- ½ c Vidalia onion, diced (½ large onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple can)
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if you want the heat)
For the Fish
- ½ lb white fish (depending on your fillet sizes, this would be 2-4 fillets)
- ¼ lb shrimp (6-8 pieces)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Salad
- 4 large romaine leaves, chopped
- 2 c shredded cabbage (about ¼ of a medium head)
- Tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
For the Salsa
- With a sharp knife, slice the papery skin off of the Jicama to reveal the white inside. Continue dicing Jicama into ¼ - ½ inch chunks.
- In a large bowl, place diced Jicama and remaining salsa ingredients. Mix well.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- This can be done up to 24 hours in advance to let the flavors of the salsa meld.
For the Fish
- Place fish and shrimp in a medium, non-stick frying pan.
- Add lime juice, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer over medium high until shrimp is no longer opaque and fish is firm and flaky. (Our fish was thawed from being frozen, so it had a lot of moisture in it. If you are using fish that is dryer you may need to add water by the tablespoon as needed to keep liquid in the pan while the fish cooks. )
For the Salad
- Place 2 c of Jicama salsa in a bowl and set aside. Add romaine and cabbage to the remaining salsa and toss well to coat.
- Place cabbage mixture on a plate. Top with warm fish and shrimp.
- Add additional salsa to the top as desired, or use it with tortilla chips.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe on Seafood Frenzy Friday. Stop by each week to link up! http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/08/seafood-frenzy-friday-56.html
That looks really good. Your combination of flavors is really creative. I agree, I & J was pretty limited!
Oh, that looks delicious! It would never have occurred to me to pair jicama with something savory. I used jicama for the challenge, too, but went with a fruit salad as I lacked imagination 🙂
Oh Sarah, this salad looks outstanding! I love the addition of the white fish and the medley of flavors. Thank you so much for sharing...I hope you don't mind if I pin this.
This looks so yummy! I will definitely have to give it a try. I tried jicama for the first time last year the Eating The Alphabet challenge and have a been a fan every since. I like it just cut into sticks to munch on plain or with a dip. I'm always looking for new ways to use it. Glad you shared this recipe!