Many people associate okra with slimy boiled preparations or greasy fried food. This unusual member of the mallow family doesn't have to be cooked, however. When sliced carefully and served raw, it has an exciting crispness and lacks any unappealing mucilage. Combine it with spicy mixed salad greens, jicama and sweet peppers for a refreshing salad that's a little outside the usual fare.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh okra
1/3 pound fresh salad greens
1 pound jicama
1 small sweet red bell pepper
4 tablespoons low sodium poppy-seed salad dressing
¼ teaspoon salt substitute
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Remove the stems from the okra and slice them in half vertically, using a clean, absolutely dry knife. Wipe the knife off between pieces to reduce mucilage production. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs from the pepper and cut it into strips. Peel and slice the jicama into matchsticks. Combine the okra, salad greens, pepper and jicama in a large bowl. Toss gently and season with salt substitute and fresh pepper. Top with poppy-seed dressing and serve immediately.