This salad is refreshing, crunchy, sweet, and savory. It works well as a side dish or as a snack, but I would not recommend it as a meal as it is quite light thanks to the hefty portion of cabbage that serves as the base. This means that this salad, like many salads, is more water than anything else. If you do want to have it as a meal, try adding a protein component like fish or eggs and some starch like brown rice or sweet potato on the side. This will keep you from getting hungry soon after your meal.
All of the salad ingredients require some shredding, chopping, or slicing. However if you are really short on time, feel free to use pre-shredded cabbage and carrots, and pre-sliced almonds. The dressing can be blended up to a week in advance.
The crowning element of this salad is of course the peanut dressing, also called Thai peanut dressing. This variation that I came up with carries both a sweet and umami flavor profile, using healthy substitutes that you may not find at a typical restaurant. This is valuable especially for those people who are following a sodium-restricted diet. Peanut dressing contains soy sauce, which is notoriously high in sodium. However this recipe uses low-sodium soy sauce and no added salt.
As a side note, when shopping for peanut butter, look for brands that do not contain added salt and/or sugar. You may be surprised to find that this is not an easy task! Added sugars are hidden in many common pantry staples, as they help to extend the shelf life of these products while adding a flavor that we humans enjoy from birth. Nevertheless, it is always important to read labels in order to ensure that if there is any sugar added to your meal, it is sugar that you consciously added during cooking, not sugar that was added by the manufacturer. This will give you more control over your sugar intake and ultimately, your health.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the health benefits of peanut butter.
Ingredient spotlight: Peanuts
The principal ingredient in peanut butter, peanuts, is a functional food. Half of the fat in peanuts is in the form of monounsaturated fat, which is beneficial for lowering total and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as the “bad cholesterol.” It has also been shown to help lower triglycerides, all while keeping High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good cholesterol,” at a healthy level. All of this may help to lower your risk of developing heart disease.
Now, on to the recipe!
Note: this salad recipe is for a single serving, but the dressing recipe can be used for 4-6 salads, depending on how much you use of course. Feel free to scale things up or down as needed!
Ingredients:
For the salad:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 small/medium apple cut into 1 inch x 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp sliced almonds
3 tbsp peanut dressing
For the dressing:
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup water
6 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
5 tbsp honey
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 whole lime
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions:
To make the dressing, simply blend all of the ingredients listed above.Throw the salad ingredients into your serving bowl, pour on some dressing, and you are good to go!
Total time:
20 minutes
Enjoy today.
~Recipe by Michelle Adams @YellowCedarNutrition~
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