Vegan Cucumber and Chive Salad with Cashew-Chive Dressing

When chives peak in springtime, make this super flavorful salad with chives and chive flowers: double the oniony goodness! This salad is light and fresh, with crunch from cucumbers, fennel and snap peas, and it's creamy from an addictive cashew-chive dressing that brings it all together.

  • 2 large cucumbers, skins peeled or left on
  • 1/4 cup whole snap peas, peas removed from pods
  • 1 small head fennel
  • 6 tbsp chives, roughly chopped and divided
  • Handful chive flowers, if using
  • 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews, soaked*
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling to finish
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 large lemon, juiced (roughly 2 tbsp)
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to finish 
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, torn

Step 1

Prepare the vegetables. Either peel the cucumbers or leave the skin on, as I did. Chop your cucumbers on a bias. Open the snap peas to remove the peas. Thinly slice the fennel. Add the vegetables to a serving plate or platter and set aside.


Step 2

Prepare the chives for the salad and dressing. Carefully chop off a handful of chive flowers, as many as you wish. Set aside. Chop 6 tbsp chives. Reserve 4 tbsp for the salad. Add 2 tbsp to a blender for the dressing.


Step 3

Add to the blender the cashews, apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, 1/2 tsp salt and water. Blend, using a tamper if necessary. If you’d like a thinner consistency, add another 1/4 cup of water. But taste for salt if you do, so it’s not watered-down. Add the dressing to a bowl.


Step 4

Sprinkle the 4 tbsp chives over the vegetables on the platter. Add the dressing to the vegetables, or leave it on the side. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle more salt. Finally add the torn basil leaves and chive flowers.


*To soak the cashews, there are three options. The first option, soaking overnight or for 5-8 hours at anytime, keeps the cashews fully raw. Cover with room-temperature water in a bowl overnight, and then drain and rinse. Or you may bring a pot of water to a roiling boil, turn off the heat, toss in the cashews and cover the pot. Leave in for 30 minutes and then drain and rinse. The final option is to boil the cashews. Add the cashews to a pot with water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and rinse.



‍