PP Spicy Thai Salad
Chef: Cathy Fisher, Straight Up Food
Makes: 6-8 Servings, about 9 cups salad, 1/3 c dressing
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 2-3 min
Total Time: 25 min
INGREDIENTS
Dressing
1 red Thai or serrano chili pepper, thinly sliced
¼ c lime juice
2 T unseasoned rice vinegar
1 pitted Medjool date (or 2 Deglet Noor)
1 small to medium garlic clove
Salad
2 c green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 ½ c julienne-cut carrots
1 c julienne-cut jicama
1 c julienne-cut mango (ripe but firm)
2 c white bean sprouts
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c sliced or chopped basil
DIRECTIONS
Dressing
In a small cup or bowl, add the sliced chili, lime juice, rice vinegar, pitted date, and garlic, and set aside.
Salad
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 c of water to a boil. Add the cut green beans and boil for 2 to 3 min (do NOT overcook. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain.
To prepare the carrots, jicama, and mango, use a mandolin or other slicer that can create “julienned” pieces (thin like matchsticks), see photo above. Place into a large bowl along with the bean sprouts, tomatoes, and basil.
Remove the sliced chilis from the vinegar and set them aside in a small bowl. Pour the remaining ingredients into a small blender jar and blend.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. If you want to use the hot-n-spicy chili pepper slices, you can; I suggest putting them on the side and letting people add them if they like (I cannot handle the pepper slices themselves, but I love the spiced vinegar).
Serve as is or garnish with basil.
TIPS
Be sure to use a mango that is still firm and not overly ripe and juicy, or it will be harder to cut.
Variations: If you do not have one of the ingredients, the salad will still be great. I know sometimes bean sprouts, mango, and fresh basil can be harder to find depending upon the season.
Cathy Fisher is the author of the cookbook, Straight Up Food, and has been plant-based for over 22 years. She has been a culinary instructor at the McDougall Program and the TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, California for over 12 years. Follow Cathy on Straight Up Food, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and receive her fabulous newsletter.
