Rainbow Salad with Tahini Dressing (Printable version)

Fresh vegetables blended with creamy tahini dressing create a vibrant, healthy, and flavorful dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
02 - 1 cup yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup carrot, julienned
04 - 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
05 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - ½ cup sweet corn kernels (cooked or canned, drained)
08 - ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, romaine)

→ Tahini Dressing

10 - ¼ cup tahini
11 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water (to thin dressing)
16 - ½ teaspoon salt
17 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

18 - 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, or mint)

# Directions:

01 - Wash and prepare all vegetables as specified, then place them into a large salad bowl.
02 - Combine tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Gradually add water until the dressing has a pourable consistency.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gently toss to coat evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds and fresh herbs over the salad, if desired.
05 - Serve immediately or chill 10 to 15 minutes for enhanced crispness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of salad that actually tastes as vibrant as it looks, with a creamy tahini dressing that makes every vegetable taste better.
  • You can throw it together in twenty minutes without turning on the stove, making it perfect for those days when you want something nourishing but have zero energy for cooking.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like you're settling for anything.
02 -
  • The tahini will seize up and become thick when the lemon juice first hits it, so don't panic—keep whisking and it will loosen back into silkiness.
  • If your dressing breaks or splits, start with a fresh tablespoon of tahini in a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the broken dressing a little at a time, rebuilding the emulsion from scratch.
  • Wet vegetables will dilute the dressing over time, so pat everything dry after washing and add watery items like tomatoes and cucumber just before serving if you're making this ahead.
03 -
  • Toast your sunflower seeds in a dry pan for two minutes just before serving if they're raw—it wakes up their flavor and adds a subtle warmth to every bite.
  • If the tahini dressing tastes too strong, a pinch of salt and another squeeze of lemon often fixes it; these two ingredients have a way of rounding out any sharp edges.
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