Cucumber Carrot Salad – Bites of Wellness

Cucumber carrot salad with creamy sesame dressing is straightforward to make, prepared in simply 10 minutes and the proper mild, refreshing salad (with no lettuce). Made with easy components, this Asian carrot and cucumber salad is nice as a easy aspect dish for weeknight meals, lunch and even summer time cookouts.

Why you’ll love this carrot cucumber salad

• Simple to make
• 10 minutes
• No lettuce salad
• Full of taste
• Cheap
• Easy aspect dish
• Nice for cookouts
• Wholesome, vegan, gluten free, Whole30, low carb

Components

• Cucumber – English cucumber is finest for this recipe, because it has a skinny pores and skin and small seeds, you don’t need to peel the cucumbers or take away the seeds. If you’re utilizing conventional cucumbers, peel the cucumbers first, and use s spoon to take away the seeds earlier than slicing.
• Shredded carrots – I like to purchase shredded carrots for comfort, however you possibly can simply shred carrots utilizing the meals processor or a hand grater. For a fair prettier presentation, you possibly can thinly peel the carrots to make lengthy carrot ribbons.
• Inexperienced onion – inexperienced onion provides a novel onion taste with out being overpowering. I like to make use of the inexperienced and the white on this recipe. In case you don’t have inexperienced onion, merely omit it from the recipe.
• Sesame seeds (elective) – including sesame seeds provides shade and crunch to the salad. Use white or black sesame seeds for distinction and texture.

Almond Butter Sesame Dressing

• Almond butter – almond butter makes the dressing thick and is used as a substitute of oil as the bottom for the dressing. I’ve additionally tried this with tahini and it really works simply as properly for a nut free choice.
• Coconut aminos – coconut aminos add a deep wealthy taste to the dressing. They’re a gluten free and soy free various to soy sauce. You can additionally use gluten free tamari or soy sauce (chances are you’ll want much less salt) since coconut aminos are typically sweeter and never as salty.
• Rice wine vinegar – rice vinegar cuts by the heaviness of the almond butter and rounds out the flavors properly. In case you don’ have rice wine vinegar, use lime juice.
• Sesame oil – just a bit sesame oil goes a great distance and may rapidly overpower the flavour of the dressing. In case you don’t have sesame oil, simply omit it. The dressing will nonetheless have a lot of taste.
• Spices: Salt, garlic powder – these assist to season the dish, salt to amplify all of the flavors and garlic powder so as to add a garlic taste and extra umami to the dish.

The right way to make cucumber carrot salad

Begin by making the dressing, mix the almond butter, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Stir properly till properly included (it should thicken and easy out extra because it sits).

Slice the cucumber. If you’re having fun with the salad now, slice the cucumber skinny. If you’re making this just a few hours prematurely, reduce the cucumber into thicker slices. Grate the carrots if wanted, slice the inexperienced onion.

Add cucumbers, carrots, inexperienced onion and dressing to a big bowl. Stir properly. Let sit 5 minutes then get pleasure from.

High ideas

• Since there’s salt within the dressing, it causes the cucumbers to wilt a bit as they launch water. Due to this, the thinner you slice the cucumber, the faster it should get mushy. In case you plan on having fun with this straight away, reduce the cucumber skinny. If you wish to prep the salad prematurely, make the cucumber slices thicker.
• I like to make use of the shortcut and purchase shredded carrots, however you possibly can simply shred carrots within the meals processor utilizing the grating attachment.
• If you wish to prep this salad prematurely, slice the cucumbers, shred the carrots and make the dressing. Wait till serving (or half-hour earlier than serving) to decorate the salad.

Different additions to asian carrot cucumber salad

Widespread questions

What are the very best cucumbers to make use of

The most effective cucumbers for a salad like this are skinny skinned cucumbers with small seeds. I want English cucumbers as a result of they’re straightforward to search out (normally you will note them wrapped in plastic within the grocery retailer). Persian cucumbers are an ideal choice as properly, however they don’t seem to be as straightforward to search out the place I stay.

Can you employ cucumbers from the backyard

Sure, nevertheless most cucumbers which are grown within the backyard have a thicker pores and skin and enormous seeds.

Merely peel the cucumbers (you possibly can go away among the pores and skin for a pleasant presentation) and use a spoon to take away the seeds.

Can this cucumber and carrot salad be prepped prematurely

As a result of the dressing will draw moisture out of the cucumbers, it’s finest prepped proper earlier than serving (1-2 hours prematurely max). If you wish to prep a few of this prematurely, listed here are some ideas:

• Slice the cucumbers and inexperienced onion
• Shred the carrots
• Make the dressing.
• Assemble the salad (besides don’t add the dressing). About 10 minutes earlier than serving, add the dressing and stir properly.

Storing leftovers

Fridge: You probably have leftovers, they may preserve within the fridge in an hermetic container for 1-2 days. The dressing will get watery and the cucumbers will lose a few of their crunch, so if you happen to  know you’re prepping this prematurely, slice the cucumbers thicker to assist retain a few of their texture.

In case you love this straightforward salad recipe, you need to strive

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