Springtime Lemon Tahini Salad

You can never have too many salad recipes! This lemon tahini salad is a great one to add to your list of go-to salads as a side, starter, or entree. It adds variety to your routine, highlighting roasted carrots, satisfying chickpeas, warm spices, fresh spinach or arugula, crunchy walnuts, and a creamy lemon tahini dressing. This salad has a pleasing balance of textures and flavors, and it’s perfect for everyday fare or for serving to company. 

It’s not just delicious and exciting, but also healthy with vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats. Filling, gluten-free, low in carbs, and optionally dairy-free, you can tweak it to meet your needs. Celebrate spring with this delicious recipe!

Variations and Serving Suggestions

• For variety, swap carrot sticks for sticks of sweet potato, peeled butternut squash, or parsnip.
• For additional protein, top the salad with tuna, cooked salmon, cooked skinless chicken breast, or cooked lean ground turkey before serving.
• For whole grains, add 1 cup of cooked whole-grain couscous, quinoa, or brown rice to the salad. 
• To reduce calories and fat, omit the nuts and cheese.
• For shortcuts, use leftovers like cooked carrots, cooked grains, and cooked beans or chicken.
• Experiment with cheeses like feta cheese, shaved parmesan, and low-fat mozzarella or swiss.
• For breakfast, add cooked egg to the salad for protein. 
• For a plant-based (vegan) option, use 2-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead of cheese. 
• If you don’t have tahini (sesame oil paste), you can substitute olive oil or pureed ripe avocado.
• For a lower-fat dressing, omit the tahini and add 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. 

Recipe for Springtime Lemon Tahini Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

Roasted carrots

• 2 cups of baby carrots or carrots, sliced lengthwise in half, then lengthwise in quarters to make sticks
• 1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained, with juice reserved
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• ½ teaspoon of paprika

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons of tahini
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons of reserved garbanzo bean juice (or water for lower-sodium version)
• (Optional) 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• (Optional) 2 tablespoons of minced red onion or thinly sliced green onion
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Salad

• 2-6 cups of spinach leaves, arugula, or romaine, or 2 cups of kale leaves, torn into pieces
• ¼-½ cup of chopped parsley, mint, chives, or cilantro leaves, or any combination
• (Optional) ¼ cup (2 ounces) of crumbled goat cheese
• (Optional) 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of chopped pistachios or walnuts, or sunflower seeds

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with wax paper or foil and spray it. 
2. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots and garbanzo beans with olive oil, cumin, and paprika. Spread onto the prepared pan and roast for 20-25 minutes. Stir halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside. 
3. While the carrots and garbanzo beans are roasting, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garbanzo bean juice or water, red or green onions and garlic if using, and salt and pepper to taste. 
4. For serving, distribute the arugula or other greens on a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the carrot mixture over it. Add goat cheese and nuts or seeds if desired. Serve the dressing on the side or drizzle it over the salad to serve.

Nutrition information per serving (using goat cheese and pistachios): 230 calories; 13 grams of fat; 3 grams of saturated fat; 10 mg of cholesterol; 250 mg of sodium; 23 grams of carbohydrates; 5 grams of sugar; 5 grams of fiber; 10 grams of protein

‍