It’s a new year and one of the most popular resolutions is to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I happen to love salads but sometimes you can only handle so much lettuce and dressing before it just gets boring.  This salad is a great way to pack your meal with loads of healthy RAW vegetables and it’s delicious and flavorful too!  In this recipe I used a vegetable spiralizer to make the ‘noodles’ but if you don’t have this fun kitchen gadget on hand you can always use a sharp knife and thinly julianne the zucchini yourself.  Either way you’ll have a fabulous meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Enjoy!

Sarah

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 heaping tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar
• 1 tbsp Nama Shoyu (you can use soy sauce or gluten free tamari for a non-raw but gluten free option)
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter

For the salad:

• 2 large zucchini
• 1/2 medium red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup cut snow peas
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced mushrooms
• 2-3 tbsp Nama Shoyu
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts
• roughly chopped cilantro, green onions or crushed peanuts for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender and process until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Place the diced pepper, peas, carrots and mushrooms in a large bowl and mix with 2-3 tbsp Nama Shoyu.  You want the vegetables to be coated but not wet.  Spread them in an even layer on a dehydrator sheet and place in the dehydrator at 115 degrees (if you don’t have a dehydrator you can place them in the oven on the lowest temperature setting available) for about 15 minutes.
3. Using a vegetable spiralizer (or use a sharp knife to julianne the zucchini into thin strips), follow the directions for your specific model to create the zucchini noodles.
4. Place the noodles in a bowl, top with bean sprouts, sauce and the marinated vegetables.  Add the optional  garnish if desired and enjoy!

Yield:

Makes 2 servings as a main meal and 4 as a side dish.

Notes:

This dish is best when eaten right away.  You can make the sauce and even marinate the vegetables ahead of time but the zucchini noodles should only be cut when the dish is ready to be served.