Thin slices of carrots and cucumbers mingle with crushed peanuts, fresh lime juice, and mint leaves in the flavorful vegan and gluten free salad. A sprinkle each of flaky sea salt and sugar rounds out the flavors!
This recipe came about last summer when I had more cucumbers than I knew what to do with. Every trip out to the sprawling prickly vines would yield a surprise cucumber I hadn’t seen the day before. It’s easy to miss cucumbers as they like to dangle down behind the vines, enjoying a bit of shade while they swell and grow. Perhaps we should emulate cucumbers during this hot and steamy season, hiding in the shade, contemplating life.
As I found myself with a quickly multiplying supply of cucumbers, one entire drawer in my fridge turned into designated cuke storage, housing a steady supply for a couple of months. You see, I got a *little* overzealous planting cucumbers last year, packing in 5 plants in a small space along my back fence. This year I learned my lesson and went with a much more conservative number…4. 😉
About this Recipe
Let’s get back to this salad, shall we? It’s a celebration of a unique moment in the season when carrots and cucumbers overlap. Cucumbers begin to come back into season just as carrots are finishing theirs. It’s sort of like the “meet cute” equivalent for vegetables. A serendipitous couple of weeks where carrot meets cucumber and all is right in the world. Or something like that. There’s a certain magic that comes from savoring produce at peak freshness. I’ve learned that I also enjoy it more knowing that its season is fleeting.
The thing I love about this salad is the ease with which it comes together. Slice some veggies, bash some roasted peanuts, add a squeeze of tangy lime, then toss in some mint leaves. Super easy. Super fresh. And super delicious. Hopefully that’s enough “supers” for you to encourage you to try this salad! You can enjoy it as a side or add a bit of grilled tofu (or your favorite protein) for a little more substance.
Local Produce Sources: carrots & cucumbers are from The Village Farm and mint is from my garden
Cucumber Carrot Salad with Crushed Peanuts and Mint
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 side servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Thin slices of carrots and cucumbers mingle with crushed peanuts, fresh lime juice, and mint leaves in the flavorful vegan and gluten free salad. A sprinkle each of flaky sea salt and sugar rounds out the flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot
- 1 slicing cucumber
- 3 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
- A heavy pinch of flaky sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cane sugar
- 2–3 tsp fresh lime juice
- handful of fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Using a mandoline, a vegetable peeler, or a very sharp knife and a steady hand, thinly slice the carrot and the cucumber and add them to a bowl. For the photos I sliced them lengthwise but feel free to slice them widthwise.
Crush together the peanuts, salt, and sugar with a mortar and pestle until the peanuts have been roughly ground. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, put the peanuts, salt, and sugar into a bag, seal it, then bash it with a rolling pin or other heavy implement.
Add the crushed peanut mixture to the bowl with the carrots and cucumber. Add the lime juice and herbs then toss to combine. Add more lime or salt as needed.
Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Try to use a carrot and a cucumber that are roughly the same length, or roughly the same equivalent of each.
- To make the salad more substantial, feel free to add avocado and grilled tofu. If you go this route, you’ll have enough for 2 large servings.
- Don’t have carrots? Feel free to use 2 cucumbers instead!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: salad
[…] you love carrots as much as I do and are looking for more ways to enjoy them, try this cucumber carrot salad with crushed peanuts and mint or this carrot ginger fried […]