A few weeks ago I posted our favourite salad recipe Sami’s Summer Tofu Salad Bowl with Brown Rice and a Savoury Dressing. The recipe was featured on Finding Vegan and brought in over 1,400 unique visitors to my site in one day. This salad has since extended itself past a Monday night deal, and has been accompanying us on our numerous weekend camping trips this summer. As much as we love it, we Dietitians (yes Sami is a Dietitian too) were feeling a little bit guilty about the amount of tamari we were going through (think one bottle a week!). So a thirsty and slightly bloated Dietitian created a less salty alternative – This Simple Summer Salad with Creamy garlic and Tahini Dressing is just as delicious and has over 80% less salt!
“Corn is a staple food in many countries and is a great gluten free, high fibre alternative for those with gluten intolerances. Make sure your corn is organic to avoid nasty GMO corn and the corresponding pesticides.”
An interesting fact about corn: As soon as corn is harvested the sugars start turning into starch. The sooner you eat the corn, the sweeter it will taste. This means those cobs of corn we are buying from the supermarket taste nothing like the real deal. Our veggie box supplied with cobs of fresh corn that could be eaten straight off the cob. You could also opt to boil yours slightly before them into the salad.
Light Summer Salad with a Creamy Garlic Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cobs organic corn husked
- 1 head lettuce washed
- 3 small carrots thinly sliced
- 1 medium beet grated
- 1 punnett punnet cherry tomatoes larger ones halved
- 1 green bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces
Dressing
- 1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar unpasterised
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 inch cube ginger minced
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 lemon juiced
- pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
Optional
- 1 cup dry brown lentils
Instructions
- If using lentils prepare by first rinsing the lentils and adding 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. When finished water should be evaporated. Season with salt and set aside and let cool before adding to the salad.
- Tear the lettuce leaves into bite size pieces into a large bowl. Cut off the kernels of the husked corn cobs and add to the salad. Add the remaining salad ingredients. Set aside.
- Add all dressing ingredients except olive oil into a magic bullet or blender. Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil and blend only until just incorporated.
- If you don't have a blender it is fine to mix by hand, just make sure your garlic and ginger are minced very finely.
- Add the cooled lentils to the salad if using. Serve with the dressing on the side.
Notes
Boost the protein: Add 6 tbsp of hemp hearts just before serving
Complete the meal: Serve the salad on top of quinoa or brown rice
Reduce the food miles: Omit the lemon and add more apple cidar vinegar Nutrition Analysis done without lentils.
Nutrition
Rachel Dickens, The Conscious Dietitian, is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2010 from Griffith University. She strives to provide evidence-based nutrition information with a focus on plant-based nutrition and share some of her favourite seasonal recipes and sustainable eating tips.
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