Fresh Vegetable Salad With Asian-Rosemary Vinaigrette

I cannot think of a more healthy, delicious and satisfying lunch than this vegetarian salad. It's packed with crisp colorful vegetables and good plant-based protein {edamame, salty cashews, and nutty hemp seeds}. But the real highlight of this salad is the dressing.  A savory and sweet Asian-inspired vinaigrette with honey, soy sauce, lemon,  rice vinegar and oil which includes one unexpected ingredient: rosemary. One of the most unique and addictive vinaigrette dressings I have ever tasted and one that works magically with all the other ingredients in this {I am going to say it} perfect salad. 

Fresh Vegetable Salad With Asian-Rosemary Vinaigrette

2 c shelled edamame

1 c raw, fresh corn {or frozen and thawed if out of season}

2/3 c chopped avocado

2/3 c toasted, salted cashews

1/2 c chopped roasted red peppers

1 c + 1/2 c French green beans, blanched, shocked and chopped

2 c chopped jicama

1 c sprouts {daikon or broccoli}

6 T hemp seeds {found in natural food markets}

- and for the vinaigrette

1 t + 1/2 t diced ginger

1 t + 1/2 t chopped shallot

1 t + 1/2 t chopped rosemary

2 T soy sauce

2 T honey

3 T rice vinegar

1 T + 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 c grapeseed oil 

To make the vinaigrette, process the ginger, shallot and rosemary in a food processor until you have a consistent paste. Add the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and lemon juice and process. Slowly add the oil and process until incorporated.

To assemble the salad, toss the edamame, corn, avocado, cashews, peppers, green beans, jicama and sprouts in a large bowl. Add 1/2 c dressing and toss. Taste and add more dressing if you'd like. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Garnish with hemp seeds.

Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from The LA Times and BLD