Thai-Style Salad of Baby Greens, Cucumbers, Carrots and Mint with Cilantro Dressing and Grilled Salmon

This refreshing, healthy salad is all about fresh, bold flavors and lovely textures—and if you use a mandolin, you can get this dish on the table in less than 10 minutes. The crunchy, sweet carrots and refreshing cucumbers should be cut into thin (1/8-inch) julienne or matchstick cuts, which creates an enjoyable feel on the tongue. I recommend using a Japanese Benriner (original green) mandolin. The fresh mint, which has a rough texture only a cow would appreciate, should be minced or finely chopped before adding it to the greens so that you focus on its bracing flavor instead of a harsh texture. And, use only the soft leaves and tender, upper stems of the fresh cilantro as salad greens to maintain this recipe's focused harmony.

This dressing will surprise you—it adds the trimmed, minced tougher, lower cilantro stems to the soy sauce, fish sauce, fresh lime juice and sugar vinaigrette. This is a secret ingredient that adds both a complementary flavor and heft to the dish. You can add a teaspoon of peanut oil if you like, but this dressing really doesn’t need it. Just be sure to taste the dressing as you are adding the sugar since the finished dressing should temper and balance the salty Thai fish sauce and soy sauce but not overpower them. When the ratios are right, it’s refreshing and bright. This dressing keeps in the fridge for several days.

While a thinly-sliced jalapeño adds the requisite amount of heat and complementary vegetal flavor this dish requires, the chile’s spiciness can be scaled down by removing its seeds before slicing. If you don’t like chiles, leave them out. My preference is grilled fish or seafood as an accompanying protein; beef and chicken will work nicely too!

Thai-Style Salad of Baby Greens, Cucumbers, Carrots and Mint with Cilantro Dressing and Grilled Salmon
Serves: 2 as a main; 4 as a side

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 package of organic baby greens, rinsed in cold water and spun dry in a salad spinner
½ Hot House Cucumber
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 bunch organic cilantro, leaves removed and stems trimmed and minced
1 bunch mint, stems removed and leaves minced
1 organic carrot, peeled and matchstick cut 1/8 inch
4 green onions, sliced thin (green parts only)
¼ cup chopped, roasted and salted peanuts

For the Thai dressing:
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon Thai fish sauce
Juice of 2 juicy limes, about 2-3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons minced cilantro stems

Directions

Place all ingredients in a bowl and place in refrigerator until salmon is grilled. Remove protein and allow to rest 5 minutes. Place on a serving plate, and toss salad ingredients to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Mound salad on plates and top with chopped, roasted peanuts. Serve salad immediately after dressed.