Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing

Have you ever looked into the produce drawer of your fridge and wondered what to do with the random assortment of vegetables? Ya, that was me last night. So trying to be resourceful, I pulled out the variety of bell peppers, carrots, onion, cucumber and Napa cabbage that needed to be consumed pronto, and I chopped them all up. Instead of our regular and boring oil and vinegar dressing, I thought I’d try something different. This peanut sauce recipe is one of our go-tos in the summer with a nice grilled flank steak, and with the addition of a little more liquid to thin it, turns out it also makes the perfect salad dressing!

Not to toot my own horn, but this may be one of the best salads I’ve ever had. And will definitely continue to make a regular appearance at dinner. 

Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing Serves: 4
Ingredients: For salad: 2 whole carrots, shredded 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced  1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced 4 cups Napa cabbage, chopped 1 avocado, sliced sesame seeds 
For dressing: 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp sugar 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp hot water 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Directions: Combine all of the vegetables in a bowl, and toss to combine.
In a small bowl, add peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, oil, soy sauce, honey and sugar. Whisk in hot water. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and combine.
If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss. Garnish with avocado and sesame seeds. Otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.
Enjoy! Would you try this recipe?