Easy Thai Cucumber Salad

Easy Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe is scrumptious and brimming with taste, yet virtually fat-free. With this salad you get true Thai taste with very little effort - perfect for lazy summer days or whenever you want to whip up an easy side dish. This salad makes a wonderful accompaniment to nearly any main entree, and it can be made a few hours ahead of a dinner party or potluck - or just as easily when you're running out the door. Interestingly, several people have written to tell me how many pounds they've lost since making this salad part of their weekly menu!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: SERVES 4 as a Side Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 English Cucumber, peeled
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 loose cup fresh coriander/cilantro, lightly chopped
• optional: 1/2 loose cup fresh basil, lightly chopped
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, ground, lightly chopped, or left whole
• DRESSING:
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian food stores)
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce OR 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper or dried crushed chili (to taste)
• 1+1/2 to 2 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

For a Vegetarian/Vegan version of this recipe, see my Vegetarian Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe (Vegan).

1. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, then continue slicing lengthwise until you have about 8 long strips. Now slice strips the other way to create bite-size rectangular chunks. Place in a salad bowl.
2. Add red pepper, green onion, fresh herbs, and peanuts to the salad bowl.
3. Combine the dressing ingredients together in a cup, stirring to dissolve the shrimp paste and sugar. Taste-test for a sweet-sour balance, adding more sugar if it's too sour for your taste. Tip: noe that the dressing will taste salty and pungent now, but will be perfect once it is combined with the salad.
4. Pour dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
5. To serve, transfer salad to a serving platter or bowl. Top with a little more coriander, basil, and peanuts. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours if making ahead of tim