maple•spice: Cucumber Noodle Salad with Avocado and a Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Avocado and a Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing - vegan and gluten-free recipe

Well, yes - I got a spiralizer for Christmas! I am loving it too - I've been "noodle-izing" everything and eating so healthy as a result. Now I don't know why noodle shaped veg taste better than any other shape but they do. Much in the same way diagonally sliced sandwiches taste better I suppose. I even prefer apples spiralized - I just noodle one up, toss it in a little lime juice to stop them browning and eat the apple noodles from a bowl. It's great!

~ spiralized apple with fresh lime juice ~

This is a variation on one of the first things I made with the spiralizer and have had many times since. As soon as I got it I kept thinking my Raw Summer Rolls with Spicy Cashew Butter Dip would be really nice as a salad using the dip as a dressing. So this usually has spiralized carrot, red cabbage and sliced red pepper in it as well, adding nice crunch and colour. But, I found myself without those ingredients one day so I just embraced the all-green theme and kept it simple with lettuce, cucumber, basil and avocado. Basically, I love both versions but I think this one has a slight edge. I just prefer the simplicity of just a few ingredients and they go wonderful together. Definitely a case of 'less is more'!

Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing - vegan and gluten-free recipe

Of course, what really makes this is the dressing, it's so packed with flavour with cashew butter, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger a little sweetener and some cayenne to taste. It would go with a lot of different veg so really you can put what you like in this salad but this is my personal favourite :-)

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Avocado and a Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing:

Yields 2 servings

Salad:

1 cucumber

1 avocado, sliced

several leaves of butterhead lettuce

2 spring onions, chopped

chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

2 Tbsp cashew nut butter (or other natural nut butter)

1 Tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free option)

½ Tbsp fresh lime juice

½ Tbsp Sweet Freedom Syrup (or light agave)

1 clove garlic, finely grated

½ tsp finely grated ginger

scant 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste - note, I just add a dash or 2 when I am making a half serving of this for myself and find that just fine.

Make the dressing by simply whisking everything together really well until creamy. Add about ½ tablespoon of water to thin and whisk well.

Wash the cucumber and slice off the top and bottom. Cut it in half then spiralize using the large noodle cutter, or blade 'C'. Repeat with the second half of the cucumber.

Transfer the noodles to a clean dish cloth or lots of paper towels and pat dry to get all the excess water off - you don't want that watering down the dressing!

Take a large plate and tear some lettuce leaves on it. Pile the cucumber noodles on top of the leaves then place the avocado slices over top of the noodles. Sprinkle the chopped basil and spring onions all over then drizzle over the dressing. This salad is actually easier to eat with chopsticks.