This is the very best salad for a warm weather meal, and, besides that, there is a strong possibility that you could live on it. It is that good. Plus, it fills your belly and sticks to your ribs, so you won’t be hungry for a good long while. Notice one trick: cutting the vegetables very thinly increases the amount of surface area for the dressing to stick to, and that makes it so much tastier! So take your time, and don’t hurry through the prep. The right kind of cutting and chopping are the secret to this delicious salad.

Salad ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 large carrots, julienned
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 c. Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• 3/4 c. fresh (or thawed) edamame
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c. cilantro, rinsed and stemmed
• 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Dressing ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 c. peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. low sodium tamari
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp. grated ginger

Toss zucchini, carrots, peppers and cabbage in a large bowl.

Blend or whisk together all the dressing ingredients. It will be a little thick at first, but it will thin as it sits. Pour half the dressing into the large bowl of vegetables, and mix thoroughly. Transfer the vegetables onto two dinner plates.

Decorate the salads with edamame, cilantro, green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds.

Pour on the remaining dressing just prior to serving. Serves 2.

Thank you to Oh She Glows for the original version of this recipe.