Papaya Salad with a Twist

Ingredients:

1 medium papaya, peeled, sliced or diced (about 4 cups)

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, finely diced

1/4 cup of roasted, unsalted almonds or walnuts, chopped

Dressing

1 red onion, peeled and sliced thin

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 Tablespoon coconut aminos

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

the juice of 1/2 lime

a pinch of red pepper flakes

herbal salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper

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Method:

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and let the onion marinate for 30 minutes or longer.

For the salad, layer the ingredients starting with the carrots, then the papaya.

Thereafter the marinated red onion, sprinkle with nuts and drizzle with the dressing just before you serve. Garnish with a large handful of fresh arugula or watercress.

*Recipe adaped from The Vietnamese Papaya Salad in Bookdale’s Heavenly and Healthy Flavors