Thai Vegetable Salad

I am a vegetarian enthusiast.  Vegetarian cuisine should never be limited to those who opt for a meatless lifestyle.  It’s more about capturing the true essence of natural flavors grown from the earth and appreciating all they have to offer.  Besides, why should the vegetarians have all the fun?

About a year ago, I decided expand my understanding of vegetarian flavors by taking a three hour cooking class on the subject.  I have to admit, as a regular meat eater, I expected to be run out of the kitchen the minute someone smelled anything resembling a burger on my breath.  But, to my surprise, my classmates were wonderfully friendly and the food we cooked was delicious.  I have since added a small collection of vegetarian cookbooks to my shelves.  A general theme has always rung true whenever I’ve flipped through the brightly colored pages.  The photos are inspiring, the flavors are complex, and the recipes are wonderfully universal to most tastes.

This post serves as a “shout out” to all my vegetarian readers and enthusiasts.  I raise my bowl of lettuce, green beans and tomatoes to you.  May the seasons bring a bounty of flavors and your forks remain full of life.  Cheers!

Thai Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Thai Coleslaw in New Vegetarian: Bold and Beautiful Recipes for Every Occasion

Salad:
4 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 Tbl. shallots, thinly sliced
1  ½ cup red cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup thinly wedged tomato, core and seeds removed
1 ½ cup spring mix lettuce, loosely packed
1/3 cup honey roasted cashews, chopped

Dressing:
2 Tbl. cilantro, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbl. garlic, minced
2 Tbl. soy sauce, low sodium
2 Tbl. lime juice
1 Tbl. brown sugar

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well combined.  Set aside.

Blanch the green beans in boiling water and shock in ice water.  Drain the green beans and place in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss until completely coated.  Serves 3 – 4 as a side.

Authors Note:  This is a wonderful salad for entertaining because you can easily prepare both parts in advance.  Then toss together just before serving.

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