This salad has a refreshing, crunchy, mouth-watering explosion of flavor!
Isn’t this a pretty salad of green, red, pink and purple? I just love summer and all its vegetable charm. I could eat salad everyday. There are endless possibilities in the world of vegetables, herbs and spices.
This salad goes best with a sweet or dry white wine . Try it with a French Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, White Rioja, Gewurztraminer, Champaign or a Prosecco.
Recipe: 2 – 4 Servings
Dressing
- 3/4 Cup Chive Cashew Pesto
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill
- 2 Teaspoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Salad
- 1 Large Organic Cucumber or 2 Small – thinly sliced
- 2 Purple Carrots (it will be just as pretty with orange carrots) – thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Pink Beauty Radishes – cut into matchsticks
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
Instructions:
Make the Chive Cashew Pesto, mince the dill, juice the lemon and combine with the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to complete the vinaigrette and set aside.
Slice the cucumber into thin slices. (you don’t have to peel organic cucumbers because there is no horrible tasting wax on them)
Thinly slice the carrots.
Slice the radishes into rounds then stack on top of each other and cut into match sticks.
Cut the top and bottom off the bell pepper, cut in half and slice into thin strips then cut the strips in half.
Toss the vegeibles with the dressing in a large bowl and serve.
Health benefits:
Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin A and B that gives you energy and the high content of vitamin C which is primarily found in the skin of the cucumber is ironically beneficial to our skin. They help eliminate toxins and keep you hydrated with their 95% water content. The dietary fiber aids the digestion and helps with heartburn. They are known to dissolve kidney stones by lowering uric acid levels. Research has shown a connection with reduced risk of several cancers due to the three lignin’s it contains. The juice is beneficial to diabetics due to a hormone it contains that helps the cells of the pancreas produce insulin. Cucumbers help reduce cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure so it is great for both low blood pressure and high blood pressure. It is an excellent source of silica, magnesium, and potassium that helps promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues and is great for your skin, hair and nails.
Chives contain flavonoid anti-oxidants, plant fiber, minerals, and vitamins. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin K, rich in vitamin C and is really high in vitamin A. It reduces cholesterol production in the liver and helps decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. It also helps maintain bone mineral density.
Cashews are extremely concentrated in essential minerals like phosphorus, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc. They contain essential fatty acids that help lower harmful LDL-cholesterol while increasing good HDL cholesterol. They are also a good source of antioxidants.
