Napa Cabbage Salad Asian Style

Now that the summer is in full swing I am actively hunting for recipes that are fresh enough to keep the whole family cool, and that are easy to make so I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside playing. 

Those are the two main things that inspired this next recipe which is seriously the easiest thing you can imagine, slicing and tossing are pretty much the only two cooking skills you need to make this salad.  

But don't be deceived by it's simplicity, it is a flavourful dish that will transport you straight to South East Asia, where the food is amazing and the weather is hot year round. 

This salad can be both, a starter dish or you can serve it as a side as well, it only has 186 calories per serving so you don't have to worry too much if your are limiting your calorie intake per day. 

Simple, low calorie, flavourful… and there's more!

It takes only 20 minutes to be made, maybe less. You only need to slice apples, carrots and some cabbage, mince a bit of garlic and ginger, and toss all the ingredients. 

If the base of this salads was so simple I had to make a dressing that would stay along the same lines, nothing too complicated but that would compliment the rest of the ingredients so I just mixed rice vinegar with sea salt and sesame oil.  

A single serving is beyond packed with nutrients that will help keep your body well nourished and it will give your immune system a good boost.

Having carrots, cabbage and apples in the same bowl is a killer combo, all these veggies are packed with fiber, they'll put your digestive system to work and help you get rid of toxins keeping your colon and stomach healthy.

Together they promote weight loss, lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure and the chance of stroke, they help prevent heart disease and help control diabetes.

If those weren't enough reasons to run into the kitchen and get your salad game going, here are a couple more that will get you chopping straight away.

These three vegetables are super loaded with phytonutrients, especially in the form of antioxidants that will keep damaging free radicals under control, the ones that affect your cells, causing premature ageing, and could lead to different sorts of illness, such as cancer. 

So much good stuff in a single salad! You'll be getting many benefits without a lot of hassle and extra unneeded work. 

I usually make a lot of it, holds quite well for a few days and it actually tastes much better if it sits in the fridge overnight, the dressing really sinks in and the veggies get infused with all the different flavours. 

So enjoy the summer days, go outside and bring this salad with you, it is great for a bbq or a picnic where you can share it with your family and friend.