We prefer our salads like we prefer our frozen yogurt: loaded with toppings. This plant-based sweet and spicy plantain salad from Gaz Oakley’s cookbook, Plants-Only Kitchen, is a shining example.

“This is my go-to salad,” writes Oakley. “It has a beautiful array of sweet, spicy and tangy flavors, plus some lovely textures from the beans, plantain, avocado and mango. It’s great on its own or served as a side.”

Even better, the dressing comes together as you mix the ingredients, so you can spend less time washing dishes and more time eating.

_{Recipes excerpted with permission from Plants-Only Kitchen by Gaz Oakley published by Quadrille, May 2020.}

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Sweet and Spicy Plantain Salad

Servings: 4 servings

Time:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced on an angle ¾ inches thick

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ mango, cubed

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 avocado, cubed

1 red chile (such as serrano), finely sliced

Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

One 14-ounce can black-eyed peas (or beans of your choice), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons mixed seeds

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

Directions:

1. Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. When hot, add the plantain. Fry the slices until caramelized, about 3 minutes per side.

2. Once fried, remove the plantain slices from the pan and place them onto a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Season to taste with sea salt.

3. Add the fried plantain to a large bowl with the mango, onion, avocado, chile, cilantro, bell pepper, black-eyed peas, seeds, lime juice, maple syrup and soy sauce. Toss to thoroughly combine, then serve.

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