According to statistics, one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions falls along the lines of eating healthier and losing weight. In today’s society, fast food restaurants are on the rise and to accommodate a healthier lifestyle, places like McDonalds and Wendy’s are offering salad options such as Chicken Ceasar Salads or Mandarin Chicken Salads. While many seem to think eating a salad at a restaurant constitutes a healthier option, itis not always the case as you may not know how many calories and fat are going into your meal.  

Chef Michael Smith, Food Network star and the author one of Whitecap’s best-selling titles The Best of Chef at Home, loves his vegetables and has a whole chapter on great salads to make yourself at home. He also teaches you easy ways to make your own salad dressing-it’s way easier than you think! Try one of my favorite salad recipes below, it is so simple but super healthy and light.  

This is a salad of contrast and balance. The sweetness of the cucumbers is sharpened by the sourness of the spicy dressing, which in turn is cooled by the refreshing mint. 

Serves 4 

1 large cucumber, sliced as thinly as possible

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

a handful of mint leaves

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of honey

1 teaspoon (5 mL) of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of sriracha, or your favourite hot sauce 

Toss all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl until well combined. Serve immediately or let it rest for a few hours. The texture will change as the acidic lemon juice and honey in the dressing draw moisture out of the cucumber.The salad will get a bit watery and soften. That’s okay; it still tastes great. Just toss again before serving. 

Freestyle Variations

I often toss bean sprouts into this salad. Salted peanuts sprinkled in at the last moment are an excellent addition as well. If you’re a fan of Thai flavours, adda splash of fish sauce.