sweet miscellany

seasonal plant-based recipes

Cucumber Carrot Salad with Crushed Peanuts and Mint

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Carrot Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts & Mint (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

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.

Carrot Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts & Mint (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

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.

Carrot Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts & Mint (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

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

Carrot Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts & Mint (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog
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Cucumber Carrot Salad with Crushed Peanuts and Mint (vegan/grain free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

Cucumber Carrot Salad with Crushed Peanuts and Mint

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  • Author: Courtney
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2–4 side servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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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

Scale
  • 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

Did you make the recipe?

I love to see what you’re making so feel free to tag me on Instagram @courtweststudio!

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweet Yogurt

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Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

Delicate mulberries picked fresh from the garden are cooked down into a simple compote and paired with flaky biscuits and lightly sweetened yogurt. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free recipe for a springtime breakfast or snack!

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog
Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog
Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

Mulberry season is a blink-and-you-might-miss-it affair. Here in Houston, their season typically falls in late April/early May. It’s a time characterized by the last sputtering moments of spring as summer tries to mark its triumphant return. Mulberries are delicate fruits, which is why you often don’t see them at stores or markets. Once harvested, they only last a day or two, which makes them incredibly special if you can find a tree! Depending on the variety, they can ripen to white, red, lavender, or dark purple.

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

So what does a mulberry taste like? I’ve only ever had the lavender or dark purple varieties and to me, they taste like a blackberry without the sharpness or tartness. They’re sweet with a delicate flavor that doesn’t stand up well against stronger flavors. I rarely go beyond eating them as a snack because I like to enjoy them as simply as possible. Usually, I find a spot to sit right after a harvest, popping them in my mouth with purple-stained hands and a huge grin on my face. This year, I figured it was time to go a step further and share a recipe with you!

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

This recipe was inspired by the quintessential spring dessert the strawberry shortcake, except it’s a bit deconstructed and uses a sweetened yogurt instead of cream. It came about on the fly after a modest little harvest from the branches that hang into the back corner of my garden. If you find yourself in the presence of a lovely mulberry tree, and you’re able to pick some, I hope you’ll make this recipe! 🙂

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog
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Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweetened Yogurt (vegan/gluten free) | seasonal plant-based recipes via the Sweet Miscellany blog

Mulberry Compote with Biscuits and Sweet Yogurt

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Courtney
  • Total Time: 50-58 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Delicate mulberries picked fresh from the garden are cooked down into a simple compote and paired with flaky biscuits and lightly sweetened yogurt. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free recipe for a springtime breakfast or snack!

Ingredients

Units Scale

for the compote

  • 3/4 cup mulberries
  • 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp arrowroot flour/starch

for the biscuits

  • 120g all-purpose gluten free baking flour (such as this one)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 50g cold vegan butter, diced
  • 90g cold plant milk (I used cashew)
  • 5g apple cider vinegar

to serve

  • plain thick yogurt (this one is my favorite)
  • honey or maple syrup to sweeten
  • fresh mint leaves for garnish, optional

Instructions

Make the compote first. Rinse your mulberries then add them to a pan along with the sugar, lime zest, and water. Cook over medium-low heat, gently mashing the berries to encourage them to break down. Cook the berries for 7-10 minutes or until they have released their juices and most of the berries are broken down. Remove the pan from the heat. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice and arrowroot. This is your slurry, and it will thicken the compote. Add it to the mulberry mixture, mixing well to incorporate it. Allow the compote to cool to room temperature while you make the biscuits.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Add the cold, diced vegan butter to the flour mixture. Using a fork, begin to cut or mash the butter into the flour. Once the mixture looks crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of a pea or smaller, put the bowl into the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.

While the mixture is chilling in the freezer, mix together the cold plant milk and the apple cider vinegar. Voila, we’ve created vegan buttermilk! 

Remove the bowl from the freezer and add your vegan buttermilk. Mix it in with a spoon, and once the dough begins to clump together, knead it a few times with your hands until it forms a ball. Flour your hands, then place the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Pat the biscuit dough into a square that is roughly 4 inches by 4 inches and 1 inch thick. Cut the square into 4 equal biscuits, then separate them on the sheet. Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 15-20 minutes in order to cool down the vegan butter.

Bake the biscuits at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the tops and bottom edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow the biscuits to cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

While the biscuits cool down, add as much honey or maple syrup to your yogurt as you like. To serve the biscuits, top each one with a dollop of sweetened yogurt and a dollop of the mulberry compote. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if you like.

Notes

The biscuits are best enjoyed the day they are made. Store any leftover compote in a jar in the fridge and make sure to enjoy it within a week.

If you don’t have access to mulberries, wild blackberries or raspberries would make a good substitute!

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25-28 minutes

Did you make the recipe?

I love to see what you’re making so feel free to tag me on Instagram @courtweststudio!