The Florida Salad

This salad takes me home. Back to my home town in Florida to be exact.

Crafted out of inspiration from Crush Xl – a young, vibey restaurant local to Melbourne that takes salads (and bacon wrapped dates) to another level. Melbourne Beach, Florida isn’t really known for its food but if you’re looking for a date night meal or a business dinner, I definitely recommend Crush. It is probably the only place in Melbourne that knows what it’s doing when it comes to cocktails and interesting dishes.

At first, this salad may look a little strange (rice noodles and coconut?). Fair. But you’d be surprised what a cup of mango, flakes of toasted coconut, & a handful of mint leaves can do to a dish.

See for yourself…

what you need

3 cups romaine lettuce, cut into thin strips

1 cup diced mango

1 cup diced avocado

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes (not shreds!). It makes a difference. If you haven’t replaced your normal coconut with Let’s Do Organic’s Unsweetened Coconut Flakes and gotten into the habit of toasting them in the oven, this is your sign.

1 cup rice noodles, cooked according to package, rinsed in cold water, and cut in half (pad thai rice noodles or vermicelli rice noodles, both fine)

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

(optional) toasted peanut crumbs for garnish

For the dressing:
1/8 cup olive oil

juice from half a lime

1 tablespoon sriracha OR several dashes of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon fresh honey

1-2 teaspoons soy sauce or Tamari

how to make it

Toss all ingredients together in a serving bowl (except the coconut).

Add salad dressing and toss until well coated. Garnish with toasted coconut and toasted peanut crumbs, if using.

A note on toasting: I am constantly toasting coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, and chopped nuts under the broiler. It takes a few moments with the broiler on high and adds so much flavor to salads and stews. For example, the toasted peanuts on top of the Cucumber Sesame Salad. Bomb.