By far one of the best salads I’ve ever made! The almond dressing, wow. And it’s an incredibly brain-healthy recipe!
This dish calls for some pickling which, for best results, should be done 24 hours in advance of the rest of the recipe.
Ingredients
For the pickled carrots and daikon radish:
- 2 cups (400 grams, 14.1 oz) of carrots and daikon ‘sticks’Â
- ½ cup (60 grams, 2.2 oz) distilled vinegar
- ½ cup (60 grams, 2.2 oz) boiling water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener*
*Yes — erythritol is perfectly healthy and so is monk fruit extract. Two packets of stevia (or any other sweetener you like) also works.
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup (½ stick, 4 tbsp) almond butter
- 4 dates
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters, 2 fl oz) soy milk
- 3 tbsp liquid aminos
- Juice of 2 large limes
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2–3 tsp sriracha (or more, depending on your tolerance)
- ½ cup (120 milliliters, 4 fl oz) water, to thin it out
For the salad:
- 6–8 cups (85–115 grams) of salad greens — lettuce/kale/cabbage/napa cabbage combo
- 1 package of cooked brown rice noodles
- 1 16-ounce (1lb, 450 grams) tofu, baked or air-fried (or any legume like chickpeas)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 large ataulfo (or honey) mangoes, sliced
- ¼ cup (14 grams, 0.5 oz) cilantro leaves, basil, and mint
- ¼ cup (14 grams, 0.5 oz) almond, chopped)
- Crushed red pepper flakes as garnish
How to make our Thai Mango Salad
- About 24 hours before you prepare your salad, mix the distilled vinegar, boiling water, salt, and sweetener in a jar, add the carrots and daikon sticks (make sure they’re completely submerged), and then leave in the fridge until ready to use.
Note: if life gets in the way and you can’t get around to making your salad the next day, don’t stress — your pickled carrots/daikon can keep for up to a week in the fridge. - To make the dressing, put the almond butter, dates, soy milk, liquid aminos, lime juice, rice vinegar, sriracha, and water in a blender, and hit ‘go’! Give it a taste, and add another date or two if you want it more sweet, or another teaspoon or two of sriracha if you like it hot. Add more water if you need to thin it out more.
- Get a large salad bowl, put in all your chosen salad greens (I use kale, cabbage, lettuce, and napa cabbage), pour on your dressing, and toss to evenly distribute all that delicious brain-healthy flavor.
- Add everything else — brown rice noodles, tofu, bell pepper, mangos, cilantro leaves, basil, mint, chopped almonds, and, of course, the star of the show: your pickled carrots and daikon sticks.
The brain science behind the recipe
Carrots contain antioxidants like beta-carotene, which can enhance cognitive function, reduce inflammation, and protect the brain against age-related mental decline.
Daikon radish is known for being a great source of folate, a nutrient which has been shown to reduce homocysteines. High levels of homocysteiness have been linked to degenerative brain disorders like dementia. Folate can counter this by breaking them down into chemicals that are useful for the body.
Another star of this recipe are the dates used to make the dressing, which also have anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have suggested that fiber-rich dates could help improve memory and strengthen our capacity to learn.
@thebraindocs Thai Mango Salad 🥠Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish: 2 cups of carrots and daikon ’sticks’ 1/2 cup distilled vinegar 1/2 cup boiling water 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (yes, erythritol is perfectly healthy and so is monk fruit extract) or 2 packets of stevia or any other sweetener you would like Mix the liquids with the salt and sweetener and soak the veggies in it for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, better if 24 hours, can keep for a week in the fridge. Dressing: 1/4 cup almond butter 4 dates 1/4 cup soy milk 3 tbsp liquid aminos Juice of 2 large limes 1 tbsp rice vinegar 2-3 tsp sriracha (or 4 depending on your tolerance) 1/2 cup water to thin it out Salad: 6-8 cups of salad greens/kale/cabbage/napa cabbage combo 1 package of cooked brown rice noodles 1 16 ounce tofu, baked or air-fried (or any legume like chickpeas) 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced 2 large Ataulfo (or Honey) mangoes, sliced 1/4 cup of each cilantro leaves, basil and mint 1/4 cup almond, chopped Crushed red pepper flakes as garnish (highly recommend) #salad #healthyrecipes #saladrecipe #recipe #brainhealth #nutrition #healthylunch #healthydinner #plantbasedrecipes ♬ original sound - The Brain Docs
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Join the NEURO Academy community to get exclusive access to Ayesha’s live brain-healthy cooking sessions.
- Ask Ayesha questions
- Learn about the brain health benefits of different foods
- Share your food photos in the NEURO Academy community, and exchange tips with other members!
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