Fresh Cucumber Salad with Peanut Dressing

This fresh and crunchy salad screams summer, and is a go to recipe in the hotter months when all you feel like is a juicy salad! The peanut dressing is light and has an Asian hint.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 Lebanese cucumbers

• 1 cup Wombok cabbage finally chopped

• 1 handful coriander leaves roughly chopped

• 1 handful mint roughly chopped

• 3 fresh shallots finely sliced

• 1/2 red chilli finally sliced

• 1 cup frozen edamame beans 

• Boiling water

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp Peanut butter (or almond butter)

• 2 1/2 tbsp Mirin

• Juice of 1 lime 

• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 small garlic clove minced

• 2 tsp ginger minced

• Pinch sea salt

To garnish:

• 2 tbsp dried shallots

• 1 tbsp roasted peanuts roughly chopped ( can be substituted for almonds)

• 1 tsp Nigella Seeds

METHOD:

1. To make the dressing combine the peanut butter, lime juice and mirin into a small dish and stir to combine until it comes together into a smooth, thick liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and stir through, set aside whilst the salad is being made.

2. Cover the frozen edamame with boiling water in a small bowl, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes while they defrost. Drain and set aside.

3. Combine in a large bowl the chopped wombok, shallots, coriander, mint, sliced chilli’s and the edamame beans. 

4. Cut the ends off the cucumbers, chop in half and spiral them using a vegetable spiralizer with the wide ribbon blade attached. A vegetable peeler also works well by peeling along the length of the cucumber to create long ribbons.

5. Combine the cucumber ribbons into the salad bowl, pour over the dressing and gently toss.

6. Serve straight away for maximum freshness, with the dried shallots, roasted peanuts and nigella seeds sprinkled over the top.

Prep time: 20-25 minutes

Serve: 3-4 people

Recipe and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.