People who follow active and healthy lifestyles tend to include salads in their regular diet, and the addition of jicama can improve the texture and flavor. It has a crunchy texture and mild flavor, which adds depth to the recipes. It is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E, dietary fiber, and prebiotic fiber. This is basically a root with white flesh and earthy skin. It has a high water content, which results in a juicy texture. However, if you want to replace jicama in salads, we are sharing some options with you!
Substitute For Jicama In Salad
- Turnip
For those who don’t know, jicama is known as Mexican turnip, which means you can use turnip in place of jicama in salads. The turnips are usually used in the winter season in cooking recipes, but you can also add turnip cubes to salads. There are various varieties of turnip available in the market, including green, purple, white, and yellow, but it’s recommended that you use white turnip to replicate the white flesh of jicama. As far as the flavor is concerned, it has a slight bitterness with fresh and sweet flavor tones. In addition to salads, turnips can replace jicama in dipping sauces and salsa.
- Rutabaga
It is commonly known as swede, and it’s a root vegetable. It is readily available in different parts of the world, but the identical texture and flavor make it a great replacement for jicama. It has a round shape with orange-yellowish flesh as well as green or purple skin. It can be added to salads and adds an earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor. However, it is recommended that you choose unpeeled rutabaga to replace jicama in salads. Also, it’s better that you purchase small rutabagas because they are sweeter.
- Water Chestnut
The water chestnuts have an identical flavor and add a sweet flavor to the salads. The water chestnuts add similar crunchiness and crispness to the salads, but you can use them in cooking recipes as well. The best thing about water chestnut is that it tastes amazing in raw form. In addition, you can boil, fry, or grill them to make sides for steaks and grilled chicken.
- Artichoke
The artichokes are known as earth apples, sun roots, and sunchokes. They have a similar texture and flavor as jicama, and you can use them in cooked as well as raw forms. The raw artichokes add a crunchy texture to the recipe, which is why they make a flavorful addition to salads. In addition, artichokes have a nutty and mild flavor. On the other hand, if you want to cook them, the texture will become softer, which is why you can use them in roasting and baking dishes.
- Daikon Radish
These radishes are known for their unique sweet flavor, which is why they can be used to replace jicama in salads. Daikon radish is also known as white radish and is popular for the white skin and elongated shape. Daikon radish has a crispy and crunchy texture, while the flavor is sweet and succulent. You can use daikon radish in raw form to improve the salad’s flavor and texture. In fact, it can be cooked as well.
- Potato
Potatoes are one of the easiest substitutes for jicama, and it’s recommended that you opt for boiled white potatoes in salads. The potatoes are full of flavor and have become popular for their earthy and mild flavor. Keep in mind that cooked potatoes will add a soft and creamy texture to the salads, so they won’t add jicama-like crunchiness to the salad. So, if you don’t like the soft texture, it’s recommended that you air-fry or bake them.
- Celery Root
This is a readily available vegetable, which can be used in salads as well as slaws to replace jicama. It has a similar appearance to jicama as it has a brown appearance. Celery root has a crispy and crunchy texture, which is why you can add them to salad recipes. As far as the flavor is concerned, it has spicy and pepper notes. In addition to salads, you can add celery roots to dipping sauces as well.
The bottom line is that these are some alternatives that you can try. However, you can also opt for parsnip, salsify, and sweet potatoes!