This clean eating healthy Asian Sesame Crunch salad will change your thoughts on salad for the better! A creamy, flavorful dressing over crunchy vegetables, this salad is completely paleo, vegan, gluten free, grain free and dairy free! It’s the perfect appetizer, side dish or main dinner or lunch too!
When my friends at the Carton Council reached out to partner with me to create a dinner party recipe, I thought this Asian Sesame Crunch Salad would be perfect.
“You don’t make friends with salad,” some say.
Well, let’s dispel that myth, as you become “buddy-buddy” with this salad and win any dinner party over.
Growing up, I would have totally agreed with the statement that salads are boring, bland and the one part of the dinner plate that gets ignored. During those days, the ‘salad’ would consist of some mixed iceberg lettuce and perhaps a tomato or two, all doused in some bottled dressing.
Now? Salads have the ability to be transformed from the unwanted item on the dinner plate to the star attraction and even the main meal!
For a salad to be filling, delicious and drool worthy, there are two key necessities- The ingredients and the dressings. My all-time favorite salad is one from my local coffee shop which is loaded with different fresh and colorful veggies and the best dressing ever. The dressing is the kind which you could (if no one was watching) literally drink from the glass.
Not that I’ve ever done that. 🙂
The only downside to that amazing salad was the price! For close to $20, it’s something that would only be enjoyed occasionally, when out for brunch with friends for example. However, it soon hit me that I could try making it myself! I’ve eaten it so many times before and had a good grasp of the flavors in the dressing, so I set forth in making it myself. I was more impressed with how easy it was to put together, especially with having all the ingredients at home on hand!
With just some fresh and dried herbs, almond butter, clean sauces and a dash of unsweetened almond milk (thank goodness for the carton I had in my pantry!), you are left with a creamy, dreamy and slightly spicy dressing which gives the cafe version a run for its money! All that is left to do is assemble the fresh ingredients (which are customizable to what you have on hand!) and voila- A showstopping salad!
It’s impressive and proves that salads aren’t bland. It also is filling, loaded with textures and flavors. It can be served as an appetizer or amped up for a more hearty meal, thanks to some additional protein (chickpeas work great here and they also come in cartons).
Let’s be real here- When it comes to cooking and hosting dinner parties, we’d all love the easy option, without sacrificing on taste. When you’re cooking with cartons, all you have to do is toss the empty cartons into your recycling bin – eco-friendly and a breeze!
This healthy Asian Sesame Crunch salad will fit the bill, and its totally dietary lifestyle friendly- It’s completely paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and grain free! You can also easily up the protein with some chickpeas, animal or vegetable protein of choice!
This salad and the dressing will become your new favorite!
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Asian Sesame Crunch Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed salad leaves
- 2 whole bell peppers chopped finely
- 2 whole carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup almond butter can sub for tahini
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk can sub for any milk of choice
- 1/4 cup liquid aminos can sub for gluten free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon 100% Orange Juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds divided
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine your almond butter with unsweetened almond milk and whisk until fully combined.
- Add your liquid aminos (or gluten free soy sauce), orange juice, minced garlic, grated ginger and red pepper flakes and mix until a thick dressing is formed. Stir through sesame seeds.
- Let dressing sit and prepare salad by adding all ingredients into a large salad bowl. Mix to combine, before adding half the dressing, mixing once again. Serve salad, and drizzle remaining half portion over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
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Oh man, I love a good salad as the main course! You’ve got so many awesome crunchy-type things going on in here, too. Chickpeas on salad is a win in my book…especially if you roast them lightly. And that dressing? I might have to sneak out to “use the restroom” and just steal the dressing and drink it in a corner. Would that be acceptable? 🙂
I love crunchy salads! I’m a big fan of all these ingredients. I am super lazy about making my own dressings, though. I usually stick with oil/vinegar, but this one looks awesome.
Salads for me are either a hit or miss but I love giant salads with all the toppings like this! I love asian-style dressings too! I’d probably drink this….
A salad without crunch is like a day without ice cream. But reallyyyyy this looks delicious!!
This looks delicious and love the dressing!
So pictures tempted to have this salad right now. That looks marvelous! Thank you so much for sharing this.
You know I love a good salad and even more than that, I love seeing savory recipes here again. I know, I know I’m probably the minority. It still made me happy.