No-cook AIP salad of sliced cucumber, radish, and red onion in a creamy coconut-milk dill dressing

On the days your body feels like it is running warm and worn out both at once, a cool, creamy plate does something a hot meal cannot. This one takes 3 vegetables and a dill dressing built on coconut milk instead of dairy, and turns them into something that feels like relief rather than another task.

Cucumber is mostly water, and that turns out to matter more than it might seem, especially while your body is working to calm inflammation and needs real hydration to do that work well. Radish is where a real share of the vitamin C in this dish comes from, tied to normal immune function at a time your immune system needs steady support rather than more static.

A pale, creamy plate flecked with green dill looks as calm as it tastes. Let it be that: something restful to look at, not just something safe to eat.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup radish, sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• Creamy dill dressing: coconut milk, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh dill, salt

Method

Slice the cucumber, radish, and red onion thin. A mandoline gives you even slices, and a sharp knife works just as well. Combine them in a bowl.

Make the creamy dill dressing. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together coconut milk, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, chopped fresh dill, and salt until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar to your liking.

Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables. Toss until everything is coated. Serve cold. It is good right away and even better after a short rest in the refrigerator, where the flavors mingle and the onion softens.

Notes

The source lists the creamy dill dressing as its own component without exact quantities. Build it to taste, starting with a few tablespoons of coconut milk as the base and adding avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, dill, and salt until it tastes balanced. The dressing quantities are not specified in the source.

Confirm the coconut milk is clean-label with no added gums or emulsifiers if you are strict in elimination, the avocado oil is pure and cold-pressed, and the apple cider vinegar is single-ingredient. All three are AIP-compliant when clean. No ingredient swaps were needed.

This salad holds for a day in the refrigerator. The vegetables release a little water as they sit, so drain or stir before serving leftovers.

Servings are not given in the source. As written this serves about two to three as a side. Total time is an estimate.

*Adapted from lichenpaleo.com*