It has been HAWT.
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And what is the last thing we want to do when its boiling lava hot outside? ....."GO TO WORK"...
....wait, what? I mean.. "TURN ON THE OVEN".
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This Thai inspired salad is incredibly flavorful and will simultaneously cool you down and fill you up.
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If you're not familiar with kelp noodles, here is your chance to get acquainted. Texturally, they are pretty similar to glass noodles, and even though they are made of kelp, they DO NOT have the fishy sea taste that other sea vegetables can have, making them a great way to squeeze in some minerals that are hard to come by for vegetarians (like magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron).
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This salad also fully embraces the concept of eating the rainbow. With a colorful assortment of veggies and herbs you're getting a well rounded dose of fiber, vitamins and minerals that are as delicious for your tastbuds as they are for your eyeballs.
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Lastly, the creamy tahini peanut dressing is a thing deams are made of. It pairs so well with all the texture of this salad but can easily be added to other dishes or even turned into a dipping sauce by omitting the extra water.
Cooling Thai Kelp Noodle Salad
Serves 2-3
For the Salad Base
1/2 Cup Kelp Noodles
1/4 Cup Shredded Carrots
1/2 Zuchinni Shredded
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper (sliced into matchsticks)
2 Stalks Scallions (chopped)
3 Tbsp Fresh Mint (chopped)
2 Tbsp Chopped Cashews
1/2 Block of Extra Firm Tofu (drained, pressed and chopped into cubes)
Sesame Seeds
Tahini Peanut Dressing
2 Tbsp Tahini
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp Tamari
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
2 Inch Piece Fresh Ginger (peeled)
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tsp Siracha
1 Tbsp Water (or more depending on how thick your dressing comes out)
In a large bowl combine and toss all of the salad base ingredients except for the sesame seeds (reseving some additional mint and scallions).
In a blender or food processor add all of the tahnini peanut dressing ingredients and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Adding additional water if necessary.
Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and top with sesame seeds, cracked pepper, and additional herbs if desired.
Enjoy xo