All Green No-Lettuce Salad: Cucumber Snap Pea Sesame Salad

A non-lettuce salad: crisp snap peas, cucumber and celery with creamy avocado wedges, dill and mint, topped with fresh lemon and savory sesame oil. A crave-worthy salad that won't wilt. 

Not all salads need lettuce. Listen. I know over the past year you've likely been seeing the news about romaine lettuce and bagged salad recalls. For some people the constant recalls have made lettuce a worrisome purchase. The 'need to know' of this recipe is two fold: Number one- this is a great article on Eater on the reality of why it seems like there are more foodborne illness outbreaks (FYI I'm still buying some types of lettuce). Number two- you also don't really need lettuce to have a great salad. So if you're still unsure about lettuce, or you just have a very full produce drawer that needs to be used here's what you can make tonight.

This all green, no lettuce salad features Persian cucumbers, sugar snap peas, creamy avocado, celery moons and a sesame lemon dressing with herbs. As with all our salads, we always pay attention to creating various textures, shapes and sizes. I love that this is completely monochrome green with a focus on differing shapes. The cucumber is in thin rounds while the snap peas are cut on a diagonal down the middle (Kind of fun and different-trust me-if you want to use up something, cut it in a new way. We're all basically six year olds). 

The various textures also make it continuously interesting with every bite. Think about it. If you've ever ordered a salad out and there aren't enough 'toppings' on a that pile of greens, you go about searching with your fork to stab something interesting with each bite. This is all interesting. 

All Green No-Lettuce Salad: Cucumber, Snap Peas and Sesame Oil 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 handfuls sugar snap peas, ends trimmed 
• 1 celery stalk, sliced into moons (we love our mandoline to cut)
• 2 small Persian cucumbers (not standard American waxy cucumbers), sliced thinly
• 1 avocado, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare sugar snap peas, use a paring knife to remove ends and pull the tough string running up the side away. Do the best you can- some peas don't really have a tough string and it doesn't matter.
2. Slice cucumbers and celery. Cut avocado and chop herbs.
3. Add produce to bowl with herbs. Top with lemon juice, sesame oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
4. Adjust seasonings to taste (I like more lemon, Chris likes more salt).