Jicama Is The Crunchy Salad Ingredient You've Been Sleeping On

Salads need some sort of crunch. Whether it's croutons, nuts, seeds, tortilla strips, or canned fried onions, there needs to be a little texture in there to offset leafier, softer mouthfeels. There are plenty of options when it comes to adding texture into salads. But rather than reaching for that container of bacon bits, consider another vegetable: jicama. 

Jicama is a root veggie that doesn't need to be cooked; its crisp texture lends itself perfectly to slicing thin and sprinkling onto salads of any kind. Just peel, julienne, and add it to your favorite greens.

This vegetable is available at most specialty grocery stores in the produce section. You can even purchase pre-peeled jicama in a container, saving you prep time. It's as easy to prep as a potato, though, and as long as you have a peeler and a knife, you're well on your way to a crisper, fresher salad.

Jicama is a root veggie, native to Central America and Mexico. The plant is bulbous and brown on the exterior, a bit like a mix between a potato and a turnip. The inside is white and starchy.

Jicama has a texture similar to raw potato and a flavor similar to apple, but with a more neutral sweetness. Unlike potatoes, jicama is a low-carb food, and it's packed with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and antioxidants. Be sure to peel it before eating, though. The skin, stem, and other parts of the plant beyond the white flesh inside are toxic and unsafe to eat.

Jicama can be used for anything from adding a little crunch to tacos to being fried and eaten with seasonings, similar to how you'd eat french fries. It's also a popular ingredient in ceviche. Its crunch and mild flavor, as well as its resistance to oxidizing and turning brown, makes it a particularly good salad ingredient.

Jicama has a mild flavor, so it tends to go well with a number of different salad toppings. However, some of the more common flavor pairings involving jicama include citrus fruits, such as oranges and limes, and aromatic herbs, such as scallions and cilantro. Jicama doesn't compete with the stronger flavors of these ingredients and can even take on flavors itself, such as the bright acidity of a citrus vinaigrette or other tangy citrus dressing.

Another good pairing for jicama is avocado; the contrast of the crisp jicama and the creamy avocado melds together nicely. The same goes for softer vegetables such as corn, black or garbanzo beans, and even sliced mango or berries.

This vegetable can become a player in just about any salad. Get creative with your flavor combinations, and don't be afraid to sprinkle some in next time you're looking for a light lunch or dinner.