Buckwheat, edamame, carrot salad in a lime, soy and ginger chilli dressing

This is a quick salad with a fiery ginger, soy, chilli and lime dressing and provides lots of protein from the buckwheat and edamame (soy beans) with plenty of crunch from the cucumber, raw carrot and red pepper.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is naturally gluten-free. Its actually a seed and known as a pseudo cereal like quinoa and when cooked looks a lot like to couscous, which is basically a pasta, but way healthier.

Begin by boiling the buckwheat for 12 mins. Remove from the heat and refresh and rinse in cold water. drain and place in a salad bowl

boil the edamame beans for 2 min, remove from heat and refresh and rinse in cold water. drain and place in the salad bowl.

While they are cooking prepare the dressing. peel the ginger and using a garlic crusher, crush and squeeze all the ginger into a small bowl. Add the finely chopped green chilli, soy sauce and the lime juice. add 2 teaspoons of agave syrup. (to make this dressing gluten free use Tamari instead of Soy)

throughly mix the dressing and put to one side.

Next, prep the vegetables – cut the cucumber along the centre and remove the seeds (they are only water and will make the salad watery). Finely chop the cucumber and add to the salad bowl.

Finely chop the red pepper and add to the salad bowl.

Julienne the carrots, I use a spirilizer to create strands of carrot and cut them to size, and add to the salad bowl.

Next, finely chop the coriander and add to the salad bowl and mix all the ingredients.

Optionally add a handful of nuts or seeds such as cashew nuts or pumpkin seeds.

Pour over the dressing and mix throughly and serve.