Gluten Free & Vegan 🧡

The secret to this amazing GF & Vegan salad that only gets better in time is all about marinating the cucumber for a few hours, draining the liquid and tossing in the vegetables with a little dressing. Refrigerate another hour or so and you have the most amazing, nutritious and gorgeous salad which can be a complete main course. And fantastic as leftovers the next day. The salad is lovely room temperature.

Serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients
Cucumber marinade:
2-3 medium organic cucumbers sliced thinly with a mandolin (I leave the skin on)
3 TBS rice wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro or parsley
3 tablespoons lime juice
Whisk vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, lime juice, herbs and sesame oil in a bowl. Toss in the cucumber, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Tossing 1 or 2 times during the 2 hours.

Vegetables:
4 medium carrots – sliced thinly with a mandolin
2 celery stalks sliced thinly
1 medium zuchinni sliced thinly with a mandolin
3 cups of chopped kale- *(my favorite: Lacinato Kale)
1 can of drained organic black beans
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Tofu
1 cube firm TOFU (prefer Hodo Foods) 1/4 slices
Chile pepper paste (optional)
Drain for an hour and pat dry…..sear on high heat with a little grape seed oil until both sides are crisp. Set aside. (I did add a little chile paste to the oil before cooking)

To Assemble:
Drain excess fluid from the cucumber and place in a large bowl. Add in all the vegetables. Toss and lightly season lightly with a little olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.
Toss in the drained black beans. Marinate another hour or so in refrigerator.
Serve in a wide bowl with a few slices of tofu on top of each bowl. Garnish with a few herbs like cilantro or basil.

Bon Appétit

***A little chopped avocado would be lovely in the salad!