This salad is refreshingly cool and light. It is a perfect accompaniment to any Mediterranean dish or eaten alone! Simple to make; serve some up today!

Ingredients:

Yogurt (makes 2 cups)

• 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 cup purified water

Salad

• 1 cup cashew nut yogurt
• 1 Tbsp dill, fresh, minced
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar or use 1/2 Tbsp Himalayan crystal salt
• 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into thin slices

Procedure

Yogurt

1. Start by soaking your nuts the night before you plan on preparing your yogurt. Simply put the nuts in a mason jar filled with water and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the nuts from the refrigerator and drain.
2. Place the nuts, along with the purified water, into a high powered blender (add more water as needed) and blend until it makes a nice and smooth mixture.
3. Empty the contents of the blender into a milking bag. Begin squeezing the liquid from the bag into a bowl.
4. Stop once the milking bag is dry and all the liquid is removed. (You can use the nut pulp that remains in the bag for other recipes, like cookies!)
5. Drain the liquid into a glass jar and cover with a mesh cloth. Place your jar in a warm dry place for 8 to 12 hours in order to let it ferment.

Salad Assembly

1. Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds by scooping out with a spoon.
2. Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a mixing bowl with salt. Massage cucumber to remove excess water, drain and add all remaining ingredients to yogurt.
3. Serve chilled and enjoy.
4. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in refrigerator.

With this recipe, I did not add a yogurt culture because it is not necessary. However, if you prefer to add one, go right ahead.

About Chef Tina Jo:

Through her books, DVDs, and programs, Chef Tina Jo is teaching Americans how to make healthy lifestyles DELICIOUS, bringing live whole foods back to the dinner table one dinner plate at a time. Learn more at www.cheftinajo.com.Chef Tina Jo is a highly respected Gourmet Raw Vegan Chef, Author, Speaker and Coach known internationally for her humor and down–to–earth approach to raw veganism. She, along with her TV show Splendor in the Raw, was awarded Top 10 Best Show, Best Chef and Best Website in the Best of Raw 2009 Awards. She has made it her life’s mission to bring super delicious, fresh, simple, fun, affordable raw vegan food to the mainstream.