Easy Thai Tossed Green Salad

This easy tossed green salad recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes. Thai green salad makes a wonderfully cooling side dish to spicy Thai curries and other Thai recipes, but is equally excellent for everyday meals. This tossed salad includes a very simple salad dressing recipe that's delicious, fresh, and slightly creamy but also low in fat and calories. And it can be made as mild or as spicy as you like. Tip: double the salad dressing recipe and keep any extra in the refrigerator for a quick & scrumptious tossed salad anytime!
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
•SERVES 2-3 (as a side dish)
•1 small head romaine or leaf lettuce, or enough salad greens for 2-3 people
•2 green (spring) onions, sliced
•1/2 to 1 cucumber (see cutting instructions below)
•1 cup fresh coriander /cilantro, roughly chopped
•1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
•optional: edible flowers to garnish, such as pansies, nasturtiums, violas, or rose petals
•SALAD DRESSING: (double the recipe if serving 4 or more)
•3 Tbsp. coconut milk
•1 Tbsp. lime juice
•1 Tbsp. fish sauce OR vegetarians use 1+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
•1-2 cloves garlic, minced, OR 1/2 tsp. pureed garlic
•1 tsp. brown sugar
•optional: 1/2 fresh red chili, finely minced, OR 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili
Preparation:
1.Place lettuce in a salad bowl along with the spring onions and basil.
2.If you're in a hurry, simply slice the cucumber as you would for a regular salad. For more formal occasions: Use a potato peeler and peel the cucumber into long, thin ribbons (see photo). If the slices turn out too long to eat easily, cut them in half or in thirds.
3.Add the cucumber and coriander to the salad bowl and toss together.
4.To make the dressing, stir the salad dressing ingredients together in a cup until sugar dissolves. Tip: If you're making a larger salad, consider doubling the dressing recipe (you can keep any extra in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks - just place it into a covered jar).
5.Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Top with the sliced green onion and basil. Edible flowers can also be added to dress up the dish. Serve immediately.
Serving Tips:


•When making this salad for dinner parties, prepare the dressing and bowl of greens ahead of time, keeping them separate. When ready to eat, toss the salad with the dressing and plate it up, adding the onion and basil on top plus one or two edible flowers to each plate or bowl.
•Note that thicker coconut milks will become somewhat solid when refrigerated. If you've refrigerated the salad dressing, simply take it out and let it sit while you prepare the rest of your meal, allowing it to come back to room temperature before serving. ENJOY!