I love salad, but I feel as though I get into a salad routine and have the same one, over and over. It’s either Greek or caesar for me. So, when Oh She Glows posted this Tahini Avocado Chickpea Salad, I knew I had to try it. Not only did I try it, it is now in my salad rotation!
Oh She Glows is fellow Canadian blogger (yeay!). Her blog has excellent content, she is very inspirational and her recipes kick butt! She focuses on vegan/vegetarian meals, which is great because I try to incorporate vegetarian meals into our rotation probably 3-4 days a week. I am sure you will see more inspiration from her as my blog develops!
Speaking of inspiration, you probably want to know what I did with the original recipe! I simply added some turmeric powder and to make the dressing a little creamier, I added plain yogurt. Not life changing adjustments here, but it turned out well. CH came home and thought I had made avocado hummus (to be posted soon!) and started eating it with pita chips before I told him it was salad dressing.
This salad ended up really flavorful and had a delicious blend of spices, which gave it a unique taste! Two boys ate this for lunch and both of them seemed to really enjoy it! I am a huge fan, I love combination of avocado with tahini and this salad is SO healthy! Avocados are so good for you and the tahini is a great source of calcium, protein and B vitamins, not to mention a good source of essential fatty acids!
All around this salad is healthy, delicious and quick. Sounds like a perfect meal to me!
Also, be sure to check out Oh She Glows for more inspiration!!
Enjoy!
Avocado & Tahini Salad
Yield: 1 large salad (for about 4 people)
Dressing Yield: About 1 cup
Prep: 5 minutes
For the Dressing:
- 1 avocado, cut in half and flesh removed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the Salad*:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped finely
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
- 1/4 red pepper, chopped
- 1/4 green pepper, chopped
- 6 mushrooms, sliced
- 10 baby carrots, chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 medium cucumber, chopped
* Of course, you can use any salad ingredients you like/have on hand!
Directions – Dressing:
Using your food processor, fitted with the small bowl & blade (if you have this), combine all of the dressing ingredients. Give it a whirl until well incorporated. You could also do this by hand, but be sure to mash the avocado really well, so your dressing is nice and smooth!
***Yes, this is the avocado dressing. Please do not mistake this for an espresso with some weird foam on top!!***
Directions – Salad:
Prepare and chop all of your salad ingredients. Place salad ingredients in a large, new-from-the-box, kitchen-sized plastic garbage bag, add the dressing to the bag and shake well (this is a trick I learned from my Mom!). This allows all of the salad to be evenly coated in the dressing, plus, easy clean-up. Alternatively, place in a large bowl and mix well!
Oh She Glows mentions that this salad dressing only lasts for a few days, maximum, so be sure to adjust the quantity of the dressing to fit your needs.
Enjoy!
Recipe Slightly Adapted From: Oh She Glows
JBean Cuisine 