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 gentle, refreshing salad (with no lettuce). Made with easy substances, 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

• Straightforward to make
• 10 minutes
• No lettuce salad
• Filled with taste
• Cheap
• Easy facet dish
• Nice for cookouts
• Wholesome, vegan, gluten free, Whole30, low carb

Substances

• 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. 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 singular onion taste with out being overpowering. I like to make use of the inexperienced and the white on this recipe. Should you don’t have inexperienced onion, merely omit it from the recipe.
• Sesame seeds (non-obligatory) – including sesame seeds provides coloration 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 nicely for a nut free possibility.
• 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 possibly can additionally use gluten free tamari or soy sauce (you could want much less salt) since coconut aminos are usually sweeter and never as salty.
• Rice wine vinegar – rice vinegar cuts by the heaviness of the almond butter and rounds out the flavors nicely. Should you don’ have rice wine vinegar, use lime juice.
• Sesame oil – just a bit sesame oil goes a good distance and might shortly overpower the flavour of the dressing. Should you 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.

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 nicely till nicely 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 a number of hours upfront, 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 nicely. Let sit 5 minutes then take pleasure in.

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 should get mushy. Should you plan on having fun with this straight away, reduce 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 possibly can 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 the perfect cucumbers to make use of

One of the best cucumbers for a salad like this are skinny skinned cucumbers with small seeds. I choose English cucumbers as a result of they’re simple to search out (normally you will note them wrapped in plastic within the grocery retailer). Persian cucumbers are an awesome possibility as nicely, however they aren’t as simple to search out the place I reside.

Can you utilize cucumbers from the backyard

Sure, nonetheless most cucumbers which might be grown within the backyard have a thicker pores and skin and huge seeds.

Merely peel the cucumbers (you possibly can depart 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 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: In case you have leftovers, they are going to 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 should you  know you’re prepping this upfront, slice the cucumbers thicker to assist retain a few of their texture.

Should you love this easy salad recipe, it’s best to attempt

Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad

Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad

Green Bean Italian Salad

Chopped Mediterranean Salad