Ingredients (4 servings)

Pickled Daikon (prepare at least 1 hour ahead of time)
1/2 daikon, julienned, spiralized, or cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp salt
optional: 4-5 black peppercorns

Gochujang Dressing
3 tbsp gochujang (search for gluten-free/vegan)
2 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
pinch of salt (or splash of tamari/soy sauce)

4 portions worth of preferred thin noodles (mung bean noodles, rice noodles, glass noodles, etc.), cooked according to package directions
1 english cucumber, julienned, spiralized, or cut into matchsticks
red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
1 large or 2 medium carrots, julienned, spiralized, or cut into matchsticks
4 portions worth pea sprouts (usually 1 container for me)

optional toppings: green onions, sesame seeds, shredded nori, shredded lettuce

Method

1. Prepare pickled daikon: Add rice vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, salt and peppercorns to a pot on medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally, allowing the sugar to dissolve into the liquids – the mixture does not need to come to a boil, but it’s no disaster if it does! Add daikon into a deep container and pour over pickling liquid. Once container/contents are close to room temperature (~1 hour), place on a lid and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Prepare gochujang dressing: Add all dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Stir everything together until the mixture is homogeneous (a fork or whisk will make mixing the gochujang into the thinner liquids a lot easier). You may choose to keep the sauce on the side in drizzle the dressing over each salad while prepping your containers, divide the dressing into 4 smaller sauce containers, or mix the sauce into the noodles before assembling your salads. Whatever you choose, refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Assemble salads: Layer ingredients on top of each other or side-by-side in your preferred meal prep containers. When ready to eat, add portion of dressing (if not already added), then mix your salad together! I like to do this by adding the lid back on my container and shaking it up until everything has a nice coating of the sauce. Add any additional toppings if preferred.

Notes:

1. A great way to save time prepping your vegetables, if needed, is to purchase pre-shredded salad mixes (ex. ones with shredded cabbage, carrot, and lettuce) or already spiralized vegetables.
2. If you would like to decrease the spiciness of this dressing, I recommend using ssamjang (green container) rather than gochujang (red container). Ssamjang still contains gochujang in it, but also has other ingredients which makes it more mild and potentially more flavourful. Exchange some of the gochujang for ssamjang, or substitute it completely depending on your spice tolerance.
3. If preparing for company, just add all of the ingredients into a larger serving bowl, pour over the sauce and mix together. This can be done at the table if preferred, to wow your guests with all of the colourful foods they are about to eat.
4. As always, use whichever noodles, veggies, and toppings that are in season and that you love, as this will make it more likely that you’ll love the end result too!