Inspired by a friend who brought the Once Upon a Chef Thai Crunch Salad to a shared meal, this modified version for beginners is guaranteed to impress your guests, future spouse, and/or in-laws. Serve the dressing on the side.

Dressing (blend in a food processor):

• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed; it makes a difference)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh garlic
• 2 Tablespoons shredded ginger root (scrub root so peeling is optional; use a old-fashioned box cheese grater to shred)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Salad (toss in a large bowl):

• 14-16 oz package tri-color or angel hair coleslaw
• 8 oz package shredded carrots
• 1 or 2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips – I choose  yellow, orange of red for color, but green also works
• 12-16 oz package frozen edamame (microwave 4-5 minutes, then shell when cooled if the beans are still in their pods; discard pods)
• 1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then cut into chunks about the size of the edamame
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops

If you are in a rush, you can usually buy chopped cilantro and green onions, as well as sliced bell peppers in the produce section of your grocery store. If you can’t stand to chop garlic, use Gourmet Garden garlic paste. Gourmet Garden also offers cilantro paste and lightly dried cilantro, but fresh is just better in this recipe.

This salad also works well as a vegan entree if you leave out the honey. For a carnivore entree, try topping the salad with slices of rotisserie chicken.