I get such a kick out of making my own dressing. I feel so accomplished ("Wow! I made that?") - especially when it is delicious! There is something about it being all saucy & yummy, without a bunch of unnecessary mystery fat that makes me feel like I could conquer anything. This salad, especially the dressing, is at the top of my list of protein packed vegetarian YUM! 

What you will need for the salad:

• 1 head of napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 4 cups (about 1/2 head) red cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 large carrots, grated or finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro (about 1/2 a cup), finely chopped
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• ***Optional - 1/2 cup cooked & shelled edamame 

What you will need for the dressing:

• 1/4 bunch of cilantro (about 1/4 a cup)
• 1 inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 large lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
• ***Optional - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a kick! 

What to do : 

• Toss all the veggies into a huge bowl & mix well.
• Toss all the dressing ingredients into a food processor & blend well. If you don't have a food processor, try chopping the cilantro, garlic & ginger as fine as you can before whisking everything together. 
• If serving immediately, drizzle on the peanut dressing. If saving for later, keep some dressing separate so the salad doesn’t get soggy.

Meal size servings : 4

Calorie count : about 375 without the edamame 

Next Chapter: Goat Cheese Quinoa Casserole