Rainbow Salad with Tahini Dressing (Print Version)

A colorful medley of fresh vegetables dressed in creamy tahini, great for a light, healthy 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 or canned, drained
08 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cups mixed salad greens (e.g., 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, to thin dressing
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 Steps:

01 - Slice, shred, julienne, and arrange all vegetables 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 to achieve a pourable consistency.
03 - Pour dressing over vegetables and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds and chopped fresh herbs on top, if preferred.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to enhance crispness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in twenty minutes, which means you can go from craving something fresh to eating it before your mood changes.
  • The tahini dressing is secretly the star—nutty, tangy, and smooth enough to make even vegetable skeptics curious.
  • Every bite tastes different because the colors aren't just pretty, they're actually different vegetables with their own textures and flavors.
02 -
  • Don't add the dressing more than thirty minutes before serving unless you like a softer salad—the acid will gradually wilt the vegetables, which isn't bad, just different.
  • The tahini dressing will thicken as it sits because the vegetables release water, so if you're making it ahead, keep it a little thinner than you think you need.
  • Taste the dressing before committing it to the salad because that one clove of garlic might feel like four depending on the clove, and lemon juice varies wildly.
03 -
  • Toast your sunflower seeds yourself in a dry pan for two minutes—they go from forgettable to genuinely delicious.
  • If you're making this ahead, dress it cold or at room temperature, never warm, so the vegetables stay crisp.
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