Sunny Citrus Salad

This is one of 3 salads enjoyed at a Super Food Salad program recently at my local library. 

 If you have a food processor with a slicing blade, the salad throws (tosses?) together quickly.

The recipe is simple, but with all the shredding, mincing, grating and slicing the salad alone could take up to 30 minutes.  Speed up the process by purchasing bags of cole slaw salad mixture, shredded red cabbage and shredded carrots.   If you serve the finished product the same day, no one will know the wiser.

Hemp seeds were added to continue with the super food theme.  While sunflower seeds were in the original recipe (and are considered a healthy addition), I figured, why not shake up the attendees and use something they consider edgy?  Hemp  is a type of cannabis, but without the pesky effects you'd expect from the cousin of marijuana.  Totally legal, the hulled seeds resemble and taste similar to ground walnuts.  If you are allergic to tree nuts, you most likely will have not any problem with hemp seeds.

If you are vegan or serving someone who is, make the dressing the evening before with granulated sugar.   This will give the sugar enough time to fully dissolve and avoid a "gritty" taste.

Although the quantities listed for the dressing are important, they are not so much with the salad itself.  No green pepper?  Leave it out, or substitute with sliced-up scallions.   Hemp not available at your local Try-n-Save?  Use sunflower seeds.

Hate mint?  Well, so do I.  But in the interest of science, I tried the salad both with and without the mint.  I discovered that the flavor of fresh mint is nowhere near the overpowering flavor in mint ice cream or Girl Scout Thin Mints and gives a subtle background note that is rather refreshing.  Just don't ... even ... think about ... substituting mint extract or mint oil.   The taste will overpower the cabbages.  And not in a good way. 

Sunny Citrus Salad
Adapted from Vegetarian Times July/August 2015
Yield: 8 servings

Note: this salad can be assembled up to a day in advance.  Refrigerate, covered, if not serving immediately.

Dressing ingredients:
1/2  cup orange juice
3 Tbl. olive oil
2 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbl. tahini
2 Tbl. honey or granulated sugar
1 Tbl. lime juice
1 Tbl. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

Salad ingredients:
3 cups green cabbage
1-2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded julienned
1 English cucumber, chopped or julienned
1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise (optional)
1 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (optional)


Assemble dressing:place all ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Process with a hand blender until smooth.

Assemble Salad: place all ingredients in large salad bowl. Lightly toss. Pour dressing over salad and toss again.