This colorful Rainbow Vegan Chop Salad is a taste sensation. Full of vibrant flavors and textures, it will delight your eyes and mouth. Zesty radishes and crunchy carrots mingle with tender greens and sweet bell peppers. The addition of almond and pumpkin seeds bumps up the protein and fats, making this a truly satiating salad.
The creamy orange tahini dressing is the perfect compliment to this rainbow vegan chop salad. The rich tahini combined with orange juice and tart lemon makes this dressing so flavorful. When selecting tahini, look for one that is pourable rather than a thick butter. Add water slowly ¼ cup at a time as tahini brands differ vastly and some will need more water than others to get the desired thick and creamy consistency.
Avocado is the perfect addition to this rainbow vegan chop salad. Only use a ripe avocado whose flesh separates easily from the skin. Be sure to wait until the last moment to add the avocado to preserve its brilliant green hue. If you need to buy some time between plating and eating, you may toss the avocado in some lemon juice. This is the best way to keep your avocado green.
Summer is the best time for a salad like this rainbow vegan chop salad. Summer's bounty of fresh produce offers the most possibilities for a rainbow salad like this one. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuces and greens are all best in summer.However with ingenuity and jazz this recipe is ejoyable year round. Feel free to substitute any vegetable thats in season with success. Roast some winter squash and throw them in during colder months or add some peas or roasted asparagus in spring. The sky is the limit when it comes to your imagination and improvisation of a composed rainbow salad.
RAINBOW VEGAN CHOP SALAD WITH ORANGE TAHINI DRESSING
Equipment
- whisk, bowl
Ingredients
- 3 watermelon radishes chopped
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 3 persian cucumbers chopped
- 2 carrots [eeled and chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 cups spring mix
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 2 avocadoes chopped
- ½ pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup slivered almonds
Dressing
- ¼ cup sesame tahini
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ lemon squeezed
- ½ cup water
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start with the base of greens and build upward layering the radishes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots and tomatoes
- Top with avocado only when serving to prevent browning
- Garnish with parsley, seeds and nuts
Dressing
- put tahini, orange juice, lemon, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk with a fork.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust to your tastes. If you like sweeter add a couple drops of pure maple syrup. Since tahini brands differ, you may add a little more water if needed to make the dressing more pourable.