Summer is in full force and much of the country is gripped with heat waves. Not here, it's lucky if hit 75F. But, many other places are sweltering. This salad dressing is amazing on those hot, sultry days. Not only does it pair perfectly with a grilled protein, it's also a flavorful way to use up some of those veggies that are coming in from the garden.
This dressing is truly the star of the show. This basic recipe can be modified to suit your taste buds. Add some chili flakes for some spice, lemongrass for an additional citrus note or freshly grated gingers for a bit of a bite.
Please be aware of the rice vinegar you use and that it's not "seasoned" aka, salted. You can substitute the low sodium soy sauce with something like coconut amino, but check that label. The low sodium soy sauce I use is 580mg per tablespoon and the recipe uses 1/2 tsp. Another option is using my low sodium soy sauce alternative.
This dressing recipe is 100mg for the whole batch, depending on the low sodium soy sauce. There is about 7 servings, at 14mg per serving.
Low Sodium Sesame Salad Dressing
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
OPTIONAL: Add one or more of the following, to your taste. 1 tsp grated lemongrass (the white part), 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/8 tsp red chili flakes.
Add ingredients to a jar with a tightly fitted lid and shake vigorously.
Low Sodium Vietnamese Noodle Salad
1 6oz package of rice noodles
4 cups lettuce of your choice, chopped
Veggies to your taste, I highly suggest carrot, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and anything else that's fresh and in season.
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
Cook the noodles according to their directions, drain and rinse in cold water.
Starting in the center of a large bowl, add the noodles. Pile the veggies, starting with the lettuce, around the noodles. Top with the cilantro, green onion and drizzle everything with the sesame salad dressing. Sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts and serve.
