Who else hates airplane food? Assuming that’s just about everybody, allow us to offer up a better alternative.
Lately when flying, we’ve been craving big, hearty salads. Bonus: They’re easy to pack to go for travel! This 30-minute salad is customizable and satisfying, and it features my NEW favorite savory tahini dressing (follow travel guidelines to be sure your dressing gets through security)! Let’s do this!
This salad starts with roasted vegetables, which we love adding to salads for extra flavor and heartiness.
You can choose your favorites. We went with sweet potato, cabbage, and zucchini. You can even keep them oil-free by following this Oil-Free Roasted Vegetable recipe.
The dressing is kind of the star of the show (learn more about the origins of tahini and how to make it yourself here).
It starts with tahini and is flavored with fresh garlic, garlic powder, a pinch of sea salt, and coconut aminos. The result is a creamy, luxurious, savory dressing that pairs perfectly with the flavors in this salad (and just about every other salad, for that matter).
All that’s left do to is choose your additional toppings, such as kimchi, quinoa, crispy chickpeas, or sprouts! And don’t forget the avocado – always avocado.
We hope you LOVE this salad! It’s:
Mega satisfying
Customizable
Super delicious
Healthy
Colorful
Portable
& So easy to make
This would make the perfect weeknight meal or side when you need something on the table fast. As we mentioned before, it would also pack up nicely to take along on road trips or flights (we just keep it refrigerated as long as possible and then eat it as soon as the plane takes off for freshness).
This salad would pair well with our Romesco Soup with Smashed Chickpeas, Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers, Rich Red Curry with Roasted Vegetables, 1-Pot Everyday Lentil Soup, or Vegan Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Abundance Kale Salad with Savory Tahini Dressing
An abundant kale salad with roasted sweet potato, zucchini, avocado, sprouts, crispy chickpeas, and kimchi! Topped with a savory tahini dressing, this salad makes the perfect 30-minute meal or side. Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4Course Entree, SaladCuisine Gluten-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly NoDoes it keep? 3 Days
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
ROASTED VEGETABLES
1 medium zucchini (sliced in 1/4-inch rounds)1 medium sweet potato (sliced in 1/4-inch rounds)1 cup red cabbage (shredded)1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (or sub water or use our method for oil-free vegetables)1 pinch sea salt1/2 tsp DIY curry powder (or store-bought)
DRESSING
1/3 cup tahini1/2 tsp garlic powder (plus more to taste)1 Tbsp coconut aminos (plus more to taste // or sub tamari or soy sauce)1 pinch sea salt (omit if using tamari or soy sauce, as the flavor is more intense)1 large clove garlic (minced)~1/4 cup water (to thin)
SALAD
6 cups mixed greens (kale, romaine, mixed greens, etc.)4 small radishes (thinly sliced)3 Tbsp hemp seeds1 ripe avocado (cubed)2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
TOPPINGS optional / choose your favorites
1 batch Crispy Baked Chickpeas2 cups cooked quinoa* (I cooked my quinoa with curry powder // omit to keep grain-free)DIY Kimchi (or store-bought)
Instructions
If serving with quinoa or crispy chickpeas, prepare at this time (follow links / see notes for instructions). Otherwise, proceed to step 2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and arrange zucchini, cabbage, and sweet potatoes on baking sheet (one or more as needed). Drizzle with coconut oil (or sub oil-free options), sea salt, and curry powder and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and slightly golden brown.In the meantime, prepare dressing by adding tahini, garlic powder, coconut aminos, sea salt, and garlic to a small mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Then add enough water to thin until pourable and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more garlic powder for garlic flavor, coconut aminos for depth of flavor, or salt for saltiness. Set aside.Assemble salad by adding greens, radishes, hemp seeds, and avocado to a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) and gently toss to combine.Add roasted vegetables and any other desired toppings (quinoa, chickpeas, etc.) and serve with dressing.Best when fresh, though leftovers keep well stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Dressing stored separately will keep for 7 days. Chickpeas should be stored separately at room temperature to maintain crispiness.
Video
Notes
*To prepare quinoa, add 1 part quinoa, a pinch of salt, and curry powder (optional) to a small saucepan over medium heat. Toast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add 2 parts water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 18 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool (uncovered) until serving.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with all of dressing, with oil, and without optional toppings (quinoa, chickpeas, etc.).
*Prep time does not indicate total hands-on prep time, but also includes prep completed while other items are cooking.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 410 Carbohydrates: 27.6 g Protein: 12 g Fat: 30.6 g Saturated Fat: 7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 143 mg Fiber: 8.7 g Sugar: 3.5 g