Thai Salad with Cucumber & Jicama (Man Kaeo)

Easy & Scrumptious Thai Cucumber & Jicama Salad!. 

This Thai Jicama and Cucumber Salad Recipe is easy to make and so incredibly scrumptious! Jicama ('Man Kaeo' in Thai) is available throughout North America in most supermarkets, just like it is in Southeast-Asia (if you're not sure what it looks like, see my link within the recipe for a picture). Jicama has a sweet note and is very crunchy, making it an excellent mate to toss up with slices of fresh cucumber. I've also added red pepper and peanuts, which I find to be a wonderful combination. The easy Thai dressing is a beautiful compliment to these vegetables, plus it's fat free! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 jicama, peeled and sliced into matchstick-like pieces to equal approx. 2 to 3 cups
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into chunks or thick matchstick-like pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup peanuts or cashews, left whole or roughly chopped
• THAI FAT-FREE DRESSING:
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, OR for Vegetarians: 2 Tbsp. Thai golden mountain sauce
• 1/3 tsp. shrimp paste OR for Vegetarians: substitute 1 extra Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 fresh red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili from the spice aisle
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

• Prep Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: SERVES 4 as side salad

PREPARATION

1. Combine all dressing ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar and shrimp paste (if using). This dressing should taste salty, sweet, and spicy in that order, with a 'tang' at the end (note: it will taste very salty now, but this will be tempered once it's mixed with the greens). Set aside.
2. Set aside a little of the coriander, basil, and peanuts for your topping. Then place all remaining salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss well to combine. Tip: I find this salad tastes even better after it sits for 5 minutes or so, allowing the vegetables to absorb the flavors of the dressing.
3. Toss salad again and taste-test for salt and spice. If too salty for your taste, add another squeeze of lime juice. If not spicy enough, add more chili. If you'd like it sweeter, sprinkle over a little more sugar. Toss once again to combine.
4. To serve, plate up the salad, topping each portion with some of the reserved coriander, basil, and peanuts. ENJOY!

To Make this into a Dinner Salad: This salad is also excellent tossed up with 1-2 cups cooked shrimp or cubes of either fried or baked (flavored) tofu.