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Fresh Summer Salad with Arugula, Corn & Spicy Cashew Dressing

5 from 11 reader reviews
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6
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Ingredients

Spicy Cashew Dressing (makes a little extra)

  • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Cholula)
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Summer Salad

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 cobs corn, kernels removed (about 2 ½ cups kernels total)
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 5 cups baby arugula, packed (about ½ standard 142 gram package of arugula)
  • 2 large peaches, pitted and sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ⅓ cup crumbled vegan feta, optional
  • ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  • Make the dressing. Drain the cashews and transfer them to an upright blender. To the blender, add the garlic clove, water, olive oil, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Tamari, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth and pourable. Check the dressing for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.
  • Cook the corn. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the corn and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and then transfer to a plate.
  • Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, peaches, red onion, cooked corn, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lime juice, and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat. At this point, I like to transfer the salad to a wide bowl or serving platter, trying to get some of the corn and peaches up top.
  • Drizzle the top of the salad evenly with the spicy cashew dressing. Finish the summer salad with the crumbled vegan feta, toasted pumpkin seeds, and extra grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately!

Equipment

Recipe Notes

  • Any pitted and chopped stone fruit would be nice in this salad. Nectarines, plums, even cherries!
  • You can substitute soaked sliced almonds or sunflower seeds for the cashews.
  • My favourite vegan feta is the Trader Joe’s branded one. Violife makes a decent version as well!
  • You can definitely substitute frozen or canned corn in place of fresh.
My fresh summer salad with arugula, corn, sweet peaches, and spicy-tangy cashew dressing is colourful, crisp, juicy, and ready in 30 minutes! Topped with salty vegan feta and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch.