Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Thai Salad with peanut dressing

If you had to guess the total calories of a salad served at a restaurant, what would be your guess? Would you think the number would be 300 to 500 calories. If I had to guess, my estimate would be somewhere in the range of 500 calories. My wildest imagination would not have come up with the number of 2238 calories for salad. But according to this article, this harmless sounding Thai salad with shredded carrots, edamame and avocado served at California Pizza kitchen has just that many calories.

Whoa, I am so glad that I have never ordered this salad when I visited their restaurant in the past. If I ever want to consume more than a days worth of calories in one go, I sure would not be opting for a healthy sounding salad, I would much rather buy some dessert and satisfy my sweet tooth instead :-)

Speaking of Thai salad, here is one salad that will definitely definitely satisfy your taste buds without a whole lot of calories. I got the idea for this recipe in a Vegetarian Times cookbook I got from my library. I tweaked the recipe slightly to suit our tastes and also to adjust for availability of ingredients. We loved this salad and it appears on my menu almost weekly nowadays.

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Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Thai Salad
For the dressing
4 tbsp heaped smooth and creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp water
1/2 tsp ground ginger powder (see notes)
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp (or to taste) hot chili sauce
4 tbsp dry roasted peanuts broken into small pieces

For the salad
1 medium head lettuce broken into small pieces
2 carrots cut into match stick size pieces
1 large cucumber peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
handful cilantro cut fine

For the dressing,

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients required for the dressing and whisk together until it all blends. Keep aside.

For the salad
In another large bowl assemble the items mentioned for the salad.

Add half of the dressing and toss well. Add the balance if required and toss again.

Serve immediately

The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com 

serves approximately 3 -4

Notes
If you are not particularly fond of ginger taste then you can scale down the ground ginger powder to 1/4 tsp instead of 1/2

The reason I am suggesting to use only half the dressing initially is because sometimes different sizes of lettuce are available, resulting in different quantities of salad, so use dressing as is required for the quantity of salad you are making. Refrigerate the balance dressing if any and use within a week or so.

This salad is off to the Healthy Inspirations Event- Salads currently going on at this site.


Comments (29)

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Healthy salad.
I also have a salad with peanuts , yet to be drafted will soon send it .
I would not have guesses 2000 some calories in a salad! Your Thai salad cooks awesome!
What a healhty Salad!!...looks awesome..
Lovely!...I make thai salads too, but a little different. Nice click!
Yummy and healthy salad!!!!
I too prefer these kind of salads... looks yumm
this recipe sounds interesting with the peanut butter ..i think after inspiring me to make soups,,,now you are tempting me to try various kinds of salads..
True, i think the salade they serve in Macdonald have loads of caloroe too.
I love dressing with peanuts and this looks so so yumm.
Hearty healthy salad..Whoa I should keep this in mind and do a double check of ingredients, next time I order a salad :-)
This salad sounds great Usha - anything with peanuts always sounds great to me...and ya, the calories, never would imagine that number with a salad !!
Delicious salad!
you gave me a shock Usha... with the mention of 2000 calories for a salad. I am just now starting to include peanuts in my cooking and I love the taste they bring!
Delicious Salad!
You are so right abt indulging in a dessert with that many calories instead... :)
Will show this to my salad-loving-FIL so he can try this.. looks realy delicious.
Great recipe for a crunchy healthy salad...btw...when you get a chance...do check out how I celebrated the wonderful gift you sent me!!! Here is the link...and thank you!!!!

http://southernspiceworld.blogspot.com/2010/03/ce...
1 reply ยท active less than 1 minute ago
Gita Jaishankar's avatar

Gita Jaishankar ยท 773 weeks ago

2000 calories in a salad...that is scary...many will order that thinking its healthy! your low-fat version is awesome...looks good Usha :)
1 reply ยท active 773 weeks ago
What a tasty and flavorful salad - I love Thai flavors.
i love thai salad.. never made at home though. looks yummy.
The salad looks healthy and so alluring!
So tasty, healthy, and colorful salad dear...wish could grab a bite as I am drooling here seeing the fabulous pic there
Looks delicious, Usha, and although I am not a fan of salads I hope I can have something for your event.
BTW, I cooked your crockpot dal makhani-- it's on my blog. Loved it-- thanks for the recipe!
Colorful salad Usha. Cannot imagine so much calories in a salad....
Sounds so perfect . I love the flavors here. I do a similar thing but with cabbage.
Usha,
Gorgeous salad! I love how international your recipe selections are.
jayasri's avatar

jayasri ยท 773 weeks ago

That's a lovely healthy salad with peanuts, thanks for the comments on my Dosa recipe, They are dedicated to you :) you are my inspiration on making things from oats!!, thanks to you!!, I have made lot of dishes using oats!!, nobody new i have used oats and I was happy i fed them good food!!

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