Mustard Green Cherry Salad with Nut Cheese & Tahini Dressing

Ah, welcome to my version of summertime eats.

Produce, fruit, and plenty of quick heat-free meals, like this gem of a salad! It’s inspired by our CSA box, which has been brimming with mustard greens – a new love of mine. Shall we?

I have been envisioning this salad ever since I discovered our macadamia nut cheese! I knew that it would meld perfectly with greens, cherries, and tahini dressing, and I was right!

This salad requires 30 minutes (or less, depending on if you chill your nut “cheese”), 10 healthy ingredients, and no cooking!

The base is mustard greens, which happen to be a favorite of mine this time of year. Mustard greens have the texture of a spinach-kale hybrid, but they taste like mustard! I know – it’s incredible. Plus, they’re super high in vitamins and minerals! Total win-win situation right here.

Next are my 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese, toasted almonds, cherries, and my go-to, 3-ingredient tahini dressing!

The combination strikes the perfect balance between creamy, savory, and sweet. It was love at first bite.

I hope you all LOVE this salad! It’s:

Creamy
Fresh
Nutty
“Cheesy”
Fruity
Insanely satisfying
& Super healthy + delicious

If you try this salad, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Mustard Green Cherry Salad with Nut Cheese & Tahini Dressing

Easy, 30-minute, 10-ingredient plant-based salad of mustard greens, cherries, toasted almonds, macadamia nut cheese, and creamy tahini dressing!

Author Minimalist Baker

Print SAVE SAVED

4.25 from 4 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (Servings)

Course Entrée, Salad, Side

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

MACADAMIA NUT CHEESE

• 1 1/4 cup raw macadamia nuts (or cashews // soaked for 1 hour in hot water)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)

DRESSING

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

SALAD

• 1/2 cup roasted slivered almonds
• 5 cups chopped organic mustard greens (or other green, such as kale)
• 1 cup pitted red cherries (organic when possible)

Instructions

• If making macadamia nut cheese, add macadamia nuts to a food processor or a high-speed blender along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, sea salt, and the lesser amount of water (1/4 cup or 60 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Mix/blend, scraping down sides as needed. Then add more water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time until a thick paste forms. I find I get the best texture results with a food processor, but in a pinch, a blender can work too. It just generally requires more scraping and more liquid.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for saltiness, lemon juice for acidity/brightness, or garlic powder for garlic flavor. Blend again to combine. If adding herbs, add at this time.
• At this point, the “cheese” is ready to eat! But it’s better after chilling. Transfer “cheese” to cheesecloth (or a thin, clean towel) and rest over a fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl. Twist the top of the cheesecloth so it forms a loose ball. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, up to 24-36 hours. The longer it chills, the firmer the “cheese” will become.
• In the meantime, prepare tahini dressing by adding tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Then add water a little at a time until a thick but pourable sauce is achieved (~1/4 cup or 60 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon for acidity or maple syrup for sweetness. Set aside.
• Once cheese is slightly chilled (at least 15-20 minutes), plate salad by adding mustard greens, almonds, and cherries to a serving platter or dividing between serving bowls. Top with half of the macadamia nut cheese (1/2 cup as original recipe is written) spread into dollops (you will have half leftover). Serve with dressing on side.
• Leftover dressing will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Leftover nut cheese will keep for 7 days, sometimes longer. Leftover (undressed) salad will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for calculated with all of the dressing and 1/2 of the nut cheese.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 426 Carbohydrates: 24.8 g Protein: 12.1 g Fat: 34.5 g Saturated Fat: 4.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g Monounsaturated Fat: 21.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 109 mg Potassium: 582 mg Fiber: 8.8 g Sugar: 11.1 g Vitamin A: 359 IU Vitamin C: 58 mg Calcium: 253 mg Iron: 4.7 mg