Vitamin Rich Salad with Tahini-Soy Dressing

Vitamin Rich Salad with Tahini-Soy Dressing is just what’s needed at this time of year. With the onset of the season for coughs, colds and sniffles you’ll want to look after your immune system to help fight those bugs. And this colourful salad just happens to look and taste great too.

What better way to give yourself a healthy boost than with a crunchy, raw salad packed with vitamin rich vegetables? A generous drizzle of Tahini-Soy Dressing with its combination of earthy, tangy and umami flavours makes this salad one you’ll want to make again and again.

VEGETABLES FOR HEALTH

We should all know by now that we need to eat lots and lots of vegetables for optimal health. Besides their importance for digestive health, formation of cells, blood and bone, wound healing etc. they also play a part in maintaining the body’s natural defence against illness and infection. This is because vegetables contain a whole host of vitamins and other nutrients that support the immune system.

I think that a great way to get these benefits is to have a big, raw salad several times a week. And to get maximum benefit, choose as wide a range of vegetables as possible. Include lots of different colours too, as their colour is determined by natural compounds (phytochemicals) that are linked to a range of health benefits. Click here to read more about the benefits of eating differently coloured foods.

VITAMIN RICH SALAD

For my Vitamin Rich Salad I’ve used a base of cavolo nero (literally ‘black cabbage’) as we grow it in our garden from late Summer through to Spring. But you can use other leafy greens such kale, spinach, watercress, chard or romaine lettuce. All are packed with vitamins and nutrients. I include flat leaf parsley too as it’s loaded with vitamins K, A and C.

I like plenty of crunch in my salad. You can really add whichever crunchy veg you like, but I’ve used julienned carrots (so much nicer than grated), red onion, red and yellow peppers, red cabbage, thinly sliced broccoli and radishes.

For juiciness, I put in some of our homegrown orange and red cherry tomatoes, halved.

The easy Tahini-Soy Dressing is both creamy, tart and with an intensely savoury, umami flavour. Grated garlic and fresh ginger give a subtle, warming heat and lemon a citrus tang. I like to add a little sweetness to balance the flavours – I use honey but you could use any other sweetener or just leave it out. An optional pinch of chilli powder gives a bit of a kick.

SERVING

To finish the salad I sprinkle over sesame and sunflower seeds and hemp hearts.

I think this makes a great main course salad for 2 people, in which case I estimate it contains FOUR TO FIVE of your daily portions of fruit and veg.

However, it could serve 4 or more as part of larger meal. We’ve eaten it with crisply fried mackerel fillets, and on another occasion with a mushroom, chestnut and rice bake. I reckon some crumbled feta would be a good addition too. But if you want to keep it completely plant-based, add some sliced almonds or roasted chickpeas.

For a packed lunch, put the Vitamin Rich Salad in one container and the Tahini-Soy Dressing in a jar. Mix together just before you eat so as to enjoy all that satisfying crunchiness.

However you eat it, I think my Vitamin Rich Salad with Tahini-Soy Dressing will not only do you good, but leave you satisfied, energized and and ready to face those cold weather bugs.

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Vitamin Rich Salad with Tahini-Soy Dressing

A crunchy, raw salad packed with vitamin rich vegetables in an earthy and tangy dressing.

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine Vegan, Raw

Keyword salad, tahini

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2 people as a main course

Ingredients

For the Tahini-Soy Dressing

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 small lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey (or other sweetener) optional
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic grated or finely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper
• chilli powder to taste optional
• salt to taste

For the Vitamin Rich Salad

• 4 handfuls cavolo nero, kale, spinach or other leafy greens ribs discarded, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
• 2 medium carrots julienned or grated
• 1 medium red onion halved then sliced thinly
• 1/4 head broccoli thinly sliced
• 1/4 small red cabbage shredded
• half a red pepper cut into strips
• half a yellow pepper cut into strips
• 6 radishes sliced thinly
• 14 cherry tomatoes halved

To serve

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp hemp hearts

Instructions

For the Tahini-Soy Dressing

1. Take a medium sized bowl and add the tahini. Stir in the lemon juice and soy sauce.
   

2. Add the honey or other sweetener if using, ginger, garlic, black pepper and chilli powder if using. Taste, add salt if needed and/or more lemon or soy sauce. Whisk to combine into a smooth dressing. Add a little cold water if you want a thinner sauce. Set aside.
   

To make the salad

1. Take a large bowl and put in all of the salad ingredients and toss to combine.

2. Pour half the Tahini-Soy Dressing over the salad and mix well.
   

3. Drizzle the rest of the Dressing of the salad, sprinkle with the sesame and sunflower seeds and hemp hearts and serve.
   

Recipe Notes

Tip if using cavolo nero or kale, scrunch the chopped leaves between your fingers to tenderise them before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Advance preparation put the salad in the fridge without the dressing if not eating straight away. Bring back to room temperature before adding the dressing and serving.