Japanese Burdock Root Salad (Gobo Salad ごぼうサラダ)
Discover the crunchy, earthy delight of this Japanese burdock root salad. Ready in 15 minutes, our gobo salad recipe is perfect for bento boxes, light meals, or as a side dish with creamy sesame dressing.
Why You’ll Love Gobo Salad
I love exploring new vegetables! Burdock root, also known as gobo in Japan, is one I’ve eyed at the local Japanese grocery store but wasn’t sure how to use. After learning how to make Japanese sides, this burdock root salad recipe popped up, and I had to try it!
This easy Japanese gobo salad recipe is the perfect way to explore burdock root. Similar to a coleslaw, the crunchy, earthy vegetable pairs beautifully with carrots and is dressed in a creamy, nutty sesame dressing.
It’s a delicious side dish, light meal, or bento box salad, with an optional kick of spice from shichimi togarashi.
If you love simple coleslaw recipes, try our celery remoulade, spicy fennel slaw, broccoli slaw and crunchy noodle slaw —all easy to make and perfect for serving.
What Is Burdock Root (Gobo)?
Burdock root is a long, slender taproot commonly used in Japanese and Korean cuisine. It has been used in holistic medicine for centuries and is packed with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
In cooking, burdock root has a slightly sweet, earthy flavour with a crunchy, stringy texture. It can be used in salads, stir-fries, soups, and pickles.
Burdock root often comes prepped into matchsticks and then frozen, making it easier to use.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: The earthy burdock root and carrots are complemented by the creamy sesame dressing, with a touch of spice from shichimi togarashi. The crunchy texture makes this coleslaw-style salad irresistible.
Ease: This is a simple salad to prepare with just a few steps for shredding and mixing the sesame dressing.
Time: It takes only 15 minutes to make this quick and easy Japanese salad.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for Gobo salad:
Burdock root: We used frozen burdock root in this recipe as fresh gobo is hard to come by. You can buy frozen or potentially fresh burdock root at large Japanese or Korean grocery stores.
Carrot: Adds sweetness and vibrant colour to the salad.
Toasted sesame seeds: These create the base, making the dressing aromatic and textured. You can buy pre-toasted seeds or toast them yourself.
Japanese mayonnaise: Creamier and richer than regular mayo, Kewpie mayonnaise is the best choice for this sesame sauce.
Sesame oil: Nutty and aromatic, sesame oil enhances the toasted sesame flavour adding depth and warmth to the dish.
Rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar: Quintessential trio in balancing Japanese style dressings.
Shichimi togarashi: A Japanese seasoning mix with 7 different spices, shichimi togarashi, brings a bit of heat and complexity. This is optional for those who prefer it to be a little spicy.
Variations and Substitutions
Gobo alternatives: If you don’t have access to burdock root, try substituting it with parsnips, celeriac or even kohlrabi for a different but equally delicious texture.
Japanese mayonnaise: You can substitute Kewpie mayonnaise with regular mayonnaise, though the flavour might differ slightly.
Gluten-free option: Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free version.
Shichimi togarashi: if not available, you can use chilli pepper flakes or omit if prefer non-spicy.
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make Gobo salad:
If using fresh burdock root, peel and julienne it into matchstick-sized pieces. If using frozen, thaw according to package instructions. Be to squeeze all excess moisture.
Peel and julienne the carrots and set aside.
How To Make Creamy Sesame Dressing
Grind toasted sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle or use a food processor for a finer texture.
In a small bowl, mix the ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until combined.
How to Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl, toss together the julienned burdock root and carrot.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well until all the vegetables are evenly coated.
Sprinkle shichimi togarashi over the salad for a spicy kick if using.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Frozen Burdock: This is a convenient substitute and saves prep time. Make sure to thaw it properly and squeeze out any excess water for the best texture.
Adjust the Spice: For more heat, add an extra pinch of shichimi togarashi or chilli flakes. For those who don’t want spice, serve individual portions before adding spice for those who prefer with spice.
Great Mains for This Salad
Serve this Japanese burdock salad with mains like miso ramen, instant pot Japanese curry or yakitori or as part of a bento box.
It pairs wonderfully with grilled fish, teriyaki chicken, or other light Asian side dishes like Korean spicy cucumber salad and Chinese silken tofu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare this salad a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge. Just give it a good toss before serving
Yes, frozen burdock root is a great alternative to fresh and comes prepped. Just thaw and use.
In Australia, fresh or frozen burdock root is available at Japanese or Korean grocery stores. Larger Asian grocery stores may also carry it.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well burdock root goes with the creamy sesame dressing. Such a simple recipe with only a few ingredients! The earthy, crunchy texture of gobo salad makes a delicious and unique addition to your easy salad rotation.
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Japanese Burdock Root Salad (Gobo Salad ごぼうサラダ)
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup burdock root, or gobo, frozen, 150g
- ½ carrot, julienned
- 1 tsp shichimi togarashi
Salad Dressing
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- If using fresh burdock root, peel and julienne it into matchstick-sized pieces. If using frozen, thaw according to package instructions.
- Peel and julienne the carrots and set aside.
Salad Dressing
- Grind toasted sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle or use a food processor for a finer texture.
- In a small bowl, mix the ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until combined.
Assembly
- In a large bowl, toss together the julienned burdock root and carrot.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well until all the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Sprinkle shichimi togarashi over the salad for a spicy kick if using.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
Notes
- Frozen burdock root is a great alternative to fresh and comes prepped. Just thaw, squeeze any excess water and use.
- If you don’t have access to burdock root, try substituting it with parsnips, celeriac or kohlrabi.
- You can substitute Kewpie mayonnaise with regular mayonnaise, though the flavour might differ slightly.
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten free version.
- If not available, you can use chilli pepper flakes or omit shichimi togarashi if prefer non-spicy.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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This burdock root salad looks delicious I wish I could do a taste test. I need to look into Japanese store here.
It’s delicious! Definitely worth a try!
First time making this and was so impressed. It was absolutely delicious!
Yay! So happy to hear.
I had to google Burdock root, as I never came across it in Ireland and instantly recognized it as what we call in Germany “Schwarz wurzel” (black root). My mom often made it boiled with a lemon sauce (I hated it!). This version though is amazing. So crunchy and with that creamy dressing, it really brings out the best in the veggies.
OMG I love this bit of trivia! Hahahah so happy to hear you liked the Japanese version. Think I’ll avoid the German version!
Such an easy, yummy and unique salad!!! We loved every bite!!