Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Serves: 6

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

This is a great recipe, fresh, colorful, flavorful and really easy. It seems perfect for a summer unique salad – with fish, chicken and/or Thai inspired dishes. Give it a try. You will be amazed how quickly it pulls together. The oil-free vinaigrette has great flavor – do not be put off by the fish sauce, nam pla. I know it smells awful and is quite aromatic but tastes great. Really. It is prepared with fermented fish that is made into a fragrant condiment and provides a salty flavor to this and other dishes. 

The fixins'

You could add other crunchy vegetables to your salad such as chopped carrots or red peppers or perhaps some chopped fresh cilantro. See other related blog postings: Thai inspired tomato soup (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/02/thai-inspired-tomato-soup.html) and Thai Chicken with amazing hot-sour-salty-sweet sauce (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/03/thai-chicken-with-amazing-hot-sour.html)

• ¼ C fresh lime juice
• 1½ Tb fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1½ Tb sugar
• 1½ Tb minced seeded jalapeno chili (about 1 large), adjust to taste
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ regular or hot house cucumbers, halved, seeded, and sliced ¼ - ½-inch thick
• ¾ C sliced red onion
• 3 Tb chopped fresh mint
• Salt and pepper
• 3 Tb coarsely chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts 

Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, minced jalapeno and garlic in a medium bowl.  Place cucumbers, onion and mint in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with peanuts.

 

How to cut the celery

The vinaigrette is ready to pour

Peanuts for the salad

This makes for a great, light and flavor-filled salad. As a plus, any leftover vinaigrette on your plate makes for a delicious sauce. I love it with rice!  And know you will too!

Larue