Cucumber Carrot Salad – Bites of Wellness

Cucumber carrot salad with creamy sesame dressing is straightforward to make, prepared in simply 10 minutes and the right mild, refreshing salad (with no lettuce). Made with easy components, this Asian carrot and cucumber salad is nice as a easy facet 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
• Filled with taste
• Cheap
• Easy facet dish
• Nice for cookouts
• Wholesome, vegan, gluten free, Whole30, low carb

Elements

• Cucumber – English cucumber is finest for this recipe, because it has a skinny pores and skin and small seeds, you don’t must peel the cucumbers or take away the seeds. In case you are 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 may simply shred carrots utilizing the meals processor or a hand grater. For an excellent prettier presentation, you may thinly peel the carrots to make lengthy carrot ribbons.
• Inexperienced onion – inexperienced onion provides a singular onion taste with out being overpowering. I like to make use of the inexperienced and the white on this recipe. If you happen to don’t have inexperienced onion, merely omit it from the recipe.
• Sesame seeds (optionally available) – including sesame seeds provides colour 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 an alternative of oil as the bottom for the dressing. I’ve additionally tried this with tahini and it really works simply as nicely 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 different to soy sauce. You would additionally use gluten free tamari or soy sauce (you could 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 nicely. If you happen to 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. If you happen to don’t have sesame oil, simply omit it. The dressing will nonetheless have plenty 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.

Methods 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 nicely till nicely integrated (it can thicken and easy out extra because it sits).

Slice the cucumber. In case you are having fun with the salad now, slice the cucumber skinny. In case you are making this a couple of hours upfront, lower 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 nicely. Let sit 5 minutes then get pleasure from.

Prime 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 can get mushy. If you happen to plan on having fun with this straight away, lower the cucumber skinny. If you wish to prep the salad upfront, make the cucumber slices thicker.
• I like to make use of the shortcut and purchase shredded carrots, however you may simply shred carrots within the meals processor utilizing the grating attachment.
• If you wish to prep this salad upfront, 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

Frequent questions

What are one of the best cucumbers to make use of

The perfect 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 (often you will notice them wrapped in plastic within the grocery retailer). Persian cucumbers are an amazing choice as nicely, however they aren’t as straightforward to search out the place I dwell.

Can you employ cucumbers from the backyard

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

Merely peel the cucumbers (you may depart a few of 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 upfront

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

Storing leftovers

Fridge: When you’ve got leftovers, they’ll maintain 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 should you  know you might be prepping this upfront, slice the cucumbers thicker to assist retain a few of their texture.

If you happen to love this straightforward salad recipe, it’s best to attempt

Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad

Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad

Inexperienced Bean Italian Salad

Chopped Mediterranean Salad