Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing
on Jan 11, 2021, Updated Jul 19, 2023
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A crunchy salad studded with chickpeas is tossed with a creamy, lemony savory dressing with a tiny kick of heat.
This salad is a terrific change of pace from the vinaigrette-dressed salads we have on the table most nights. It features a creamy, nutty, tahini-based dressing, and it would be perfect with any Middle Eastern-themed dish such as Lebanese Couscous with Sautéed Kale and Lemon Dressing or Chicken Kawarma. It is quite satisfying for a green salad, and the chickpeas offer a lovely amount of protein and fiber.
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a wonderful ingredient, a thick sauce or paste made from sesame seeds. It’s used often in Middle Eastern cooking to add richness and nuttiness to different dishes, and it’s one of the core ingredients in hummus. However, you can make hummus without tahini if you don’t have it on hand.
Here it adds terrific flavor to a substantial dressing that also boasts lemony-ness, a touch of heat from the. harissa (a North African chili pepper paste, which also makes appearances in other cuisines, such as Israeli food), and a little bit of sweetness from the honey. You can use agave if you want a vegan salad. (You can also make your own harissa sauce!)
The chickpeas add toothsome texture, the cucumbers offer fresh crunch, and the red onions provide color and a spicy bite. The sesame seeds are optional, but they add a toasty layer of flavor and are really easy to make – and make the salad feel very polished.
How to Make Toasted Sesame Seeds
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of raw sesame seeds and cook stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until they start to turn a deeper golden brown and smell nutty.
Watch carefully as sesame seeds go from toasted to burned fairly quickly. Take them from the heat as soon as you get them to the color you like, and remove them from the pan.
Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing: A crunchy salad studded with chickpeas is tossed with a creamy, lemony savory dressing with a tiny kick of heat.
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More Green Salad Recipes:
- Green Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pears, and Goat Cheese
- Mixed Green Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing
- Roasted Chickpea, Apple and Feta Salad
- Arugula and Cucumber Salad with Tzatziki Vinaigrette
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Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Spicy Tahini Dressing
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon harissa , or more to taste
- 1 clove minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
- 1 small red onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional; see note)
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Place the tahini, water, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, harissa, garlic and salt and pepper into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- In a large bowl, place the arugula, spinach, chickpeas, red onion and cucumbers. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine well.
Notes
- How to Toast Sesame Seeds: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of raw sesame seeds and cook stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until they start to turn a deeper golden brown and smell nutty. Watch carefully as sesame seeds go from toasted to burned fairly quickly. Take them from the heat as soon as you get them to the color you like, and remove them from the pan.
- You can use agave if you want a vegan salad.
