Spring Veggie Bowl with Brown Rice and Tahini Dressing

Tahini salad dressing... whaaaat?! Have you ever had it?  Well, I've been obsessed with it lately.

It's my new favorite dressing.  My first experience with it was at a cafe a few months back and since then I've been determined to figure out how to get that perfect taste in a homemade version.

After a one or two nasty first attempts, I got it.  And by nasty I mean tahini by itself ...not a huge fan.  But, when combined with a few other simple ingredients, it takes on a whole different dimension of flavor!

Trust me once you try this creamy, garlicky dressing you will want to slather it everywhere and on everything!  It has just the right blend of flavor to go with any type of salad or vegetable you have on hand.

And how about this veggie bowl?  Aren't those watermelon radishes gorge?!  That pink is to die for and their crunchy, slightly peppery flavor adds the perfect kick.  I used a mandoline slicer to get the radish slices thin enough to curl up, but if you're skilled with a knife you can certainly use that instead.

I found the most delicate and delicious sweet pea lettuce at the grocery store earlier this week and combined it with some warm brown rice, beets (for convenience, I used a healthy prepackaged brand LoveBeets), carrots and cashews.  It's spring in a bowl!

Spring Veggie Bowl with Brown Rice and Tahini Dressing

Donna Castellano, MS, RDN

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Servings 1 bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ¾ cup cooked brown rice warm
• ¾ cup chopped beets
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• 1 large handful sweet pea lettuce or any baby lettuce leaves
• 1 small watermelon radish very thinly sliced
• ¼ cup cashews
• ⅓ cup tahini
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 teaspoon honey
• juice from ½ freshly squeezed lemon
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
• pinch of pepper

Instructions

 

• To make the dressing, whisk together the last 8 ingredients until creamy and smooth (adjust salt and pepper to taste) and set aside.
• Arrange vegetables and rice in a medium sized bowl and top with dressing (you may have additional dressing left over).

I prefer to focus on quality ingredients from a variety of sources that work in tandem to promote optimal health. Nutrition calculations may not reflect these valuable interactions. However, I understand certain values can be helpful to some. Please note these calculations are merely estimates. Values will vary depending on modifications, brands used, and portion size. Should you require specific information, it's best to consult with a dietitian or qualified healthcare provider.

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