Rainbow Salad with Tahini (Printable View)

Colorful fresh vegetables with creamy tahini dressing offer a vibrant and healthy addition to any meal.

# 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 - 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels, cooked and drained
08 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, romaine)

→ Tahini Dressing

10 - 1/4 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
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Slice, julienne, shred, and halve all vegetables as specified then place them in a large salad bowl.
02 - Whisk tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually add water until the mixture reaches a pourable consistency.
03 - Pour the dressing over the prepared vegetables and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds and chopped fresh herbs over the salad, if desired.
05 - Serve immediately or chill for 10 to 15 minutes to enhance crispness.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a small celebration.
  • The tahini dressing is thick enough to coat every piece but pourable enough that you don't feel like you're wrestling with it.
  • You can swap vegetables based on what's in season or what you're craving, so it never feels stale even when you make it repeatedly.
02 -
  • Tahini separates naturally—stir it well before measuring, or you'll end up with a dressing that's either too thick or too thin depending on which layer you pull from.
  • Don't dress this salad more than a few hours ahead unless you want a wilted situation by dinner time, because the acid in lemon juice slowly softens even the sturdiest vegetables.
03 -
  • Keep your tahini dressing separate if you're packing this as a lunch, then toss everything together right before you eat so the vegetables stay snappy and refusing to soften.
  • A squeeze of tahini dressing over steamed vegetables, roasted grains, or even soup becomes something worth looking forward to—this recipe is really teaching you how to make a dressing that changes everything.
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