big summer salad with tahini ranch dressing and herbed walnut croutons (vegan, no added sugar)

Summer is made for salads. Big salads. Because cool greens, fresh herbs and colorful veggies that are finally in season just beckon on hot, hazy days.

At least once a week I try to plan a salad for dinner and I wanted this one to capture the abundance that spills from the garden. As a main meal, I wanted it to feel “meaty,” so I diced up some sweet potatoes and roasted them in the oven and further “beefed” up the protein with herby walnut croutons. Since I had a package of farro on hand from my sister, I cooked up some of that too.

My veggies of choice for this salad are:

• lettuce (your favorite kind, but I prefer delicate green leaf for this one)
• spiralized zucchini
• shredded carrots
• tomatoes
• snap peas
• corn
• cucumber
• sweet potato

As a side note…did you know that you can eat the skin of a sweet potato? I always assumed I needed to peel it until I read otherwise in The Seven-Day Rescue Diet*. I love the added texture and vitamins plus another way of reducing kitchen waste!

For the ranch dressing, I slightly adapted my garlic herb dressing from my favorite BLT Salad. I may try a cashew version of this dressing down the road since cashews lend themselves so well so dairy-free creams, but tahini is more budget friendly so I went with it this time.

Ever since I had children, I’ve discovered that even though they are birthed from the same parents, they have completely different taste buds. Go figure. To avoid personally having to customize each salad (which would definitely exceed the limits of mental capacity) and to make veggie eating a (more) enjoyable experience for my brood, I plate the lettuce, but create a veggie buffet on the table for the fixings. That way, each person can select the toppings they like best and I never have soggy lettuce leftover that often is a downfall of pre-mixing a salad.

I would love to hear if you try this tip! And/or have you tried something like this with your family? How do you encourage your children to eat their greens?

• Click here for my favorite food processor and the veggie spiralizer I use
• Click here for the avocado oil.

Print

big summer salad with tahini ranch dressing and herbed walnut croutons

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Cool greens, fresh herbs and colorful veggies capture the abundance that spills from the garden on hot, hazy days. Diced sweet potatoes, herbed walnut croutons and tangy ranch dressing round out this salad to make it a satisfying main meal or easily scale it back for a side.

Course: Main Course, Salad

Ingredients

For the salad

• lettuce
• zucchini, spiralized
• carrots, shredded
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• corn
• snap peas, chopped
• cucumber, diced
• farro (about 1/4 c. cooked/person)
• sweet potaotes, diced

For the tahini ranch dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dashes freshly ground pepper
• 3 tsp fresh chives
• 2 1/2 tsp onion powder

For the herbed walnut croutons

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp avocado oil
• dashes salt and pepper

Instructions

For the salad

1. Place the diced sweet potatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper if desired) on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper in a 350 F oven for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through.
   

2. Cook farro according to package directions.

3. 3. Prepare veggies while the sweet potatoes are cooking.

For the tahini ranch dressing

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined. Pour into a glass jar. Can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
   

For the herbed walnut croutons

1. Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir thoroughly until the nuts are well coated with the herbs (using your hands is helpful). Turn onto a metal baking sheet or pie tin and pop in the oven with the sweet potatoes. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant. *Keep an eye on them as they go quickly from lightly toasted to burnt.*
   

Recipe Notes

RECIPE NOTES: While I didn't include the portion sizes for the salad ingredients, here is a general guideline for adult portion sizes:

• one generous handful of lettuce and one medium carrot per person
• one small spiralized zucchini per 2-3 people
• one medium sweet potato per 2 people
• 1/8-1/4 cup of corn, cucumber, snap peas and farro per person
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes per person

I like using organic frozen corn and simply let it thaw since GMO free corn on the cob is hard to find (and it's easier!)

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