Low in calories but high in antioxidants, these mizuna recipes are a fantastic way to spice up salads or your favorite hot pots.
It comes from the same family as kale and bok choy, and it’s mostly famous for being grown and eaten on the International Space Station!
Also known as spider mustard, water greens, and kyona, mizuna is a dark leafy green with a subtle yet peppery bite similar to arugula.
And while the Japanese don’t typically eat it raw, its crisp stalks make it a fun alternative to frisee lettuce.
So if you’re ready to eat like an astronaut, try these delicious mizuna recipes.
Easy Mizuna Salad and More!
1. Mizuna Lettuce Salad
When using mizuna as a salad base, you usually don’t need to add extra ingredients to dial up the flavors.
That’s because it has a slightly bitter, mustardy taste, making it ideal for sweeter salad additions.
Thinly sliced crisp apples and a few raisins perfectly play off the peppery notes of mizuna.
This dish is super light and crisp and just what you need on the side of a heavy meal like pasta.
2. Mizuna Salad with Peanuts
With a healthy helping of protein-rich peanuts and bright Asian seasoning, this salad is pretty hard to resist.
It’s easy to throw together and infuses punchy pantry staples, such as chives, nuts, white vinegar, and soy sauce.
It’s great to have on its own, or pair it with a stir fry for a pop of crunch and bright greens.
3. Mizuna Myoga Salad with Ponzu Sesame Dressing
Get your camera ready because this beautiful salad demands an Instagram debut.
The salad base is super simple – you just need mizuna greens, finely chopped myoga ginger, and shiso leaves.
Add the flavorful Ponzu dressing to mix those rich flavors and serve alone or with your favorite Japanese dish.
4. Mizuna (Japanese Mustard Greens) with Garlic and Bacon
Hoping to add more leafy greens to your diet? Try this recipe.
If you (or your family) are vegetable-reluctant, this fragrant garlic and bacon salad might just be good enough to tip the scales.
You’ll lightly cook the mizuna greens to release the peppery flavors into the garlic and bacon.
From there, serve it with something hearty, like roasted chicken or steak.
5. Mizuna Salad Miso Dressing
Give lunch a flavor boost with this insanely scrumptious miso salad.
Canned tuna provides an extra protein kick and works so well with a flavorful miso dressing.
You’ll get a double-punch of peppery goodness thanks to the radishes. Meanwhile, the dressing is subtly sweet and loaded with umami flavors.
Pack this salad in your bento box, and watch your coworkers drool in jealousy at lunchtime!
6. Tatsoi with Asian Salad Greens
Tatsoi and mizuna are a match made in heaven.
While mizuna is slightly bitter and peppery, tatsoi is somewhat sweet with earthy notes.
Pair these two leafy greens together in a salad, and it’s impossible to resist!
For added crunch, throw in thinly sliced carrots (that look like thick noodles) and cucumbers.
Pour a healthy serving of creamy Ranch yogurt dressing to finish it off, and dig in!
7. Mizuna Greens and Quinoa Salad
There’s so much to love about this mizuna and quinoa salad!
First of all, it’s deliciously addictive. Second, it’s a nutritional powerhouse that checks almost all the boxes on the food pyramid.
It earns a lot of protein from chickpeas, making it an excellent vegetarian dish for meatless Monday.
Stir cooked quinoa with finely chopped mizuna, a handful of feta (or omit the feta to make it vegan), and marry those rich flavors with a dressing made from lemon juice and mustard. Yum!
8. Salad of Grilled Shrimp and Wilted Mizuna Mustard Greens
Mizuna is a leafy green similar to spinach, which means it can hold up to heat.
So, the leaves will soften and releases earthy, peppery flavors without wilting to nothing.
Plus, the slightly bitter flavors pair wonderfully with the sweet, juicy grilled shrimp.
It’s an excellent recipe for the summer when you need a light and refreshing dinner that’s high in nutrition and low on calories.
I like this with toasted pine nuts for a bit of buttery crunch.
9. Mizuna Salad with Roasted Chicken
Hoping to impress someone with your mad cooking skills?
With hearty leafy greens, perfectly roasted chicken, and a pop of crunch from carrots, this recipe is sure to do the trick.
The key to this flavorful dish is to use bone-in chicken.
The ingredient list is relatively short, so opting for bone-in chicken is a great way to amp up the flavors with no extra work.
Serve chicken on a bed of roasted broccolini, and serve with a side of lightly dressed mizuna and shaved carrots. Yum!
It’s super simple, yet it looks like you spent all day in the kitchen. What more could you ask?
10. Mizutaki (Japanese Chicken Hot Pot)
I love a Japanese hot pot! It’s brimming with unique umami flavors that simmer all day for a dinner that’s ideal on cold winter nights.
The long ingredient list may require a trip to the Asian market- but trust me, it’s worth it!
Simmer proteins and vegetables in a rich broth infused with kombu, sake, and ginger. Then, add as many or as few veggies as you like.
This recipe calls for mushrooms, chicken tofu, mizuna, and a green option to get you started.
Oh, and don’t forget the dipping sauces! Make your simple sauce with ponzu and green onions, and throw in some shichimi togarashi for added heat.
Top 10 Ways to Use Mizuna Greens
Low in calories but high in antioxidants, these quick and easy mizuna recipes are a fantastic way to spice up salads or your favorite hot pots.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a delicious mizuna recipe in 30 minutes or less!
