Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Thai Cucumber Salad

Just finished a 30 day juice cleanse and this is the first thing I ate when I broke the fast.  I was looking for a salad with a light dressing and lots of flavor.  This fit the bill!  It has spiralized cucumber and carrots instead of noodles.  (Love my spiralizer!) I used less olive oil than the dressing called for and you could use agave nectar instead of honey if you wanted this dish to be vegan.  It is delicious and even better the next day!

GLUTEN-FREE SWEET AND SOUR THAI CUCUMBER PASTA SALAD
adapted from Peas & Crayons


PREP TIME
15 mins
TOTAL TIME
15 mins

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (I used 1tbsp)
2 TBSP white vinegar
¼ tsp salt [plus extra, to taste]
⅛ tsp dill [fresh or dried]
⅛ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp fresh minced garlic
2 cups chickpeas [canned or cooked from dry]
¼-1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus extra to garnish
1.5 large english cucumbers
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup finely minced onion
2-3 extra large carrots
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP rice vinegar
½-1 TBSP sesame seeds
½-1 TBSP chia seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, dill, salt, and minced garlic and whisk to emulsify.
In a medium bowl add chickpeas, minced onion, chopped bell pepper, ½ an English cucumber [chopped] and cilantro.
Pour in dressing and mix thoroughly. The longer you allow them to marinate the more intense the flavor will be!
Next, using a spiralizer or tool of choice [see above for options] curl one english cucumber and 2-3 large carrots [the biggest, thickest carrots you can find] into raw spiral noodles.
Whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and pour over salad.

Top with extra chopped cilantro and a hearty sprinkle of sesame and chia seeds. (also topped mine with some raw cashews...just a handful)