Vietnamese Tamarind Salad

Inspired by the sweet-sour balance of Vietnamese cooking, this salad is fresh but deeply satisfying. The dressing is a combination of tamarind paste, fresh lime and a touch of Red Boat fish sauce - made only from anchovies and sea salt, and when an ingredient list is this simple, quality truly matters. You can keep this salad as is, add more vegetables or top

with chopped chicken and peanuts for a fabulous lunch or light dinner.

The Vegetables:

3-4 cups shredded Napa cabbage

1 1/2 cups shredded jicama

1/2 cup grated radish

1/4 cup each chopped mint and cilantro

Optional

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Tamarind Dressing

3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate paste

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce

juice and zest of half a lime (1 tablespoon of juice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons avocado oil

• In a medium bowl or deep container, combine the tamarind paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, zest and salt

• Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth

• Add the avocado oil and blend until the dressing is emulsified and the dressing has a silky texture

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing over and toss well and serve.

Tamarind paste and Red Boat fish sauce are two of my pantry staples

When you add mint to cilantro is creates a truly unique flavor, even if you are not a fan of cilantro, this combination just might change your mind..