Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing

This Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing 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 is quite satisfying.  

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

Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing

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.

The chickpeas add protein and 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.

Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing

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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Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing

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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.
Yield: 8 People
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Spicy Tahini Dressing

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)

Directions

  • 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.
Originally Published on nbcnews.com/better.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1680IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.

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