This summer salad is full of vitamin-rich vegetables. It is dressed in a slightly spiced vinaigrette that goes well with the refreshing cucumber. A few nuts sprinkled on top supply healthy plant protein.

Yield: 2 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 small cucumbers, such as Persian cucumbers
• 1/8 tsp fine ground sea salt
• 2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
• ¼ tsp dark sesame oil
• ¼ tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• ¼ tsp sriracha hot sauce
• ¼ cup raw cashews

Directions

1. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the cucumbers into thin ribbons. Place the cucumber ribbons in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze the cucumbers to extract excess water and drain. Add the carrots to the bowl.
3. Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar and sriracha. Stir the salad well. Sprinkle with cashews and serve.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.