Salads are great – and so many options to make them interesting, by changing the dressing, the veggies, adding a grain or a legume, hot or cold… This one, we found in a cookbook from “Rebar Modern Food Cookbook” and it’s called Saigon Salad. We made a couple changes, but overall this one is a winner and a repeat!

(Serves 2)

Dressing – In a bowl, whisk together the following:

• 1/2 C hot water
• 1 jalapeno, finely minced
• 2 T agave or brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 1 t garlic chili sauce, sriracha, or sambal oelek
• 2 T fish sauce (or double the tamari or soy sauce substitute)
• 2 T GF tamari
• 3 T fresh lime juice

For the salad, you will need:

• 2 C lettuce, shredded
• 4 oz wide rice noodles, cooked according to the package directions, rinsed with cool water
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• kernels from 1 corn on the cob (or about 1 C thawed frozen kernels)
• 1 small red bell pepper, julienne cut
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 C cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• seasoned tofu (optional)
• 2 T chopped roasted peanuts
• lime wedges

To assemble the salads, place the lettuce in the bottom of 2 bowls, top with the rice noodles. Spoon about 1/2 the dressing over each, so the noodles can start to soak it up. Layer the rest of the salad ingredients on top of that, and pour the rest of the dressing over it all. Finish with a couple lime wedges to squeeze over as you eat. Mix it up as you eat, making sure to get the dressing covering each bite.

This is super fresh and delicious, and can actually be modified to whatever vegetables you have on hand! And it is very filling, also.