Years ago I worked at an artisan bakery called Le Bus, which – at the time – also owned a restaurant of the same name in Manayunk, an artsy section of Philadelphia. On Fridays, the bakery staff were treated to lunch catered by the restaurant, and most of us would order the same thing over and over. Thai Turkey Salad. This past weekend I happened to run into an old friend from Le Bus and it got me craving one of those delicious salads. So here is my low sodium vegetarian version of that memorable dish, perfect for picnics or potlucks.
Serves 6.
SODIUM CONTENT: 6.9 mg per serving
INGREDIENTS
SALAD:
1 16-oz. pkg. uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
2 T. peanut oil
1 medium yellow squash, julienned
1 sm/med zucchini, julienned
1 green bell pepper, cored and julienned
1 red bell pepper, cored and julienned
1 orange bell pepper, cored and julienned
1 bunch scallions (5-6), sliced (green and white portions)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
DRESSING:
1/2 c. peanut oil
1 T. sesame oil
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
2 T. natural no-salt-added creamy peanut butter
2 t. tomato paste
2 T. dried cilantro
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. no-salt-added chili powder (available online at healthyheartmarket.com)
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
Measure all of the dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Heat the 2 T. peanut oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add the julienned vegetables, sliced scallions, minced garlic, jalapeno and walnuts, and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a very large bowl. Add the spaghetti to the bowl, then pour the dressing over top. Toss well to coat. Salad can be served immediately or covered and refrigerated until time to serve.
