I love fresh veggies in the summer–when gardens are full of color and farmer’s markets are in their glory.
Of course the abundance of vegetables this time of year calls for a new salad recipe—one hearty, colorful, and packed with summer veggies!
This summer salad with tahini dressing is vegan, gluten free, and comes together in under 45 minutes!
Let’s make a salad!
On most week days, I pack myself a lunch—which has been some form of a giant, leafy salad and whatever homemade dressing I have in the refrigerator. I love being able to prep all my food in advance and am perfectly content eating similar versions of the same lunch each day of the week.
My salad starts out with some hearty roasted veggies—sweet potatoes and carrots—coated with curry. This combo makes them extra sweet and flavorful. Those sit on top of a big bed of kale, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, and crunchy sunflower seeds all drizzled with tangy lemon juice. Finally—the real star of the show—my favorite creamy tahini dressing is poured over the top with all its savory, sweet and garlicky flavor.
This would make a great weeknight dinner if you’re running short on time, or an easy side dish for a party. It is also stable—so it won’t go bad the day after you make it (mostly because of the hearty kale!). Make a big batch and know that the same salad you made on Monday will still taste amazing on Thursday or Friday!
This salad is also hearty—not “light” or “skimpy”—but is loaded with healthy fats, proteins and carbs to keep you focused and energized through the rest of your day.
I hope you love my Late Summer Salad with Tahini Dressing as much as I do. It is:
Hearty
Satisfying
Colorful
Sweet & Savory
Healthy
& Easy to make
This late summer salad with tahini dressing would pair well with my summer corn chowder and vegan baked Chili “cheese” fries with garlicky guac.
Also, if you like this recipe, you might also enjoy my mediterranean quinoa salad, summer panzanella, avocado pesto salad, and summer dill potato salad
If you try this recipe, be sure to comment, leave a rating, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thelocalsprout on Instagram! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Late Summer Salad with Tahini Dressing
Materials
Roasted Veggies
- 1 large sweet potato sliced into 1/4 inch rounds and then halved
- 1 1/2 cup carrots sliced into 2 inch long pieces
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
Salad
- 6 cups chopped kale hard pieces removed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1/8 cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Tahini dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos or sub soy sauce or tamari
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 big pinch sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1/8 cup water or more to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. On a large baking sheet, toss sliced sweet potato and carrots with coconut oil, curry powder and salt until evenly coated
- Roast for 20-25 mins, or until dark golden, tossing halfway through to ensure evenness.
- While the veggies roast, make the salad. Toss kale, tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Kale should begin to wilt a bit.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic powder, coconut aminos, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Drizzle in just enough water to achieve a desired salad dressing consistency—note that dressing will thicken more once refrigerated.
- Once veggies are done roasting, let cool on pan for about 10 minutes, remove from pan and top the salad with them. Toss again.
- Serve immediately, pouring tahini dressing over salad before serving.