Fresh vegetable salad with hearts of palm, corn & lime-cilantro dressing

This salad is chock full of fresh vegetables and it gets an exotic flair from the addition of hearts of palm, but it's the tart vinaigrette that really makes the dish. The xanthan gum in the recipe is listed as optional in the dressing's ingredient list, but it does serve to thicken and stabilize the dressing. A plant-based fermented sugar that's a common addition to gluten-free baking because it adds fluffiness, xanthan gum is frequently found in bottled salad dressing as a thickener. Whether you opt to use it or not, the salad will be tasty, the perfect light start to a dinner off the grill.