Zucchini Salad with Garlicky Miso Tahini Dressing

Ohhh yum.  I like this salad so much I’ve had it for lunch two days in a row.

On day one, it looked like this (spiral-cut zucchini & carrots thanks to my veggie spiral slicer!):

On day two (today), I got creative and added some extra stuff:

I liked the “extra stuff” so much that it turned into a whole recipe.  This is a filling salad, with the zucchini/carrot base, and the nourishing toppings: tomatoes, fenugreek sprouts (that I grew myself!), sesame seeds, and avocado.  Mmmmm.

I can’t recommend this dressing enough!  I found a miso & tahini dressing in my copy of Veganomicon and desperately needed it with my new zucchini spirals.  I am so glad I made the dressing – and the additions of lemon & garlic made it so perfectly what I wanted.  I think this is going to become my “house dressing” around here for the next long while.

I’m definitely eating way more veggies (and even fruits!) because of my spiral slicer – it’s just made salads fun and easy again.  The boyfriend commented that because the prep time was so quick that I was going to eat more salads – and he’s completely right!  EASY and fun.  That’s what my motivation is to eat veggies!

Zucchini Salad with Garlicky Miso Tahini Dressing
Serves 1

• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1/3 avocado, cut into cubes
• 1 handful cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 big handful sprouts (I used fenugreek, ’cause I grew them myself!)
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp. Garlicky Miso Tahini Dressing (recipe below)

If you have a veggie spiral-slicer, spiralize your zucchini and carrots.  If not, you can slice the zucchini into thin strips using a vegetable peeler or knife, and julienne (make matchsticks) or thinly slice the carrots.

Combine all ingredients, except dressing, in a large bowl.  Top with dressing when you’re ready to eat and enjoy with great satisfaction!

Garlicky Miso Tahini Dressing
Dressing Inspired by Veganomicon‘s Miso Tahini Dressing, makes about 250mL (1 cup)

• 3 Tbsp. tahini
• 2 Tbsp. red miso paste (feel free to use white)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• the zest & juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tsp. dried red chili flakes (to taste)
• 1-4 Tbsp. warm water

Using a spoon, fork, or whisk, combine tahini and miso in a medium-sized bowl.  Add the garlic, lemon zest & juice, and chili flakes, and mix well to combine.

Add the water, 1 Tbsp. at a time and mixing well, until the dressing is a consistency that you like.  I used about 3 Tbsp. to get it to a just-slightly-runny state.

Keep any extra dressing in the fridge for about a week – it will get less runny as it sits, feel free to add more water to the dressing as you use it.