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
Ingredients
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 salt
- 1/2 tsp DIY curry powder (or store-bought)
DRESSING
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/2 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 seeds
- 1 ripe avocado (cubed)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
TOPPINGS optional / choose your favorites
- 1 batch Crispy Baked Chickpeas
- 2 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
*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.
Dottie says
The dressing really makes this salad stand out, I did add a bit of lemon juice to the dressing though because I thought it needed a bit of brightness! I didn’t have all of the ingredients so I made a few substitutions. I used sweet potato, kale, quinoa, hemp seeds from the recipe and then added some cranberries, pumpkin seeds and an Asian salad topper that has almonds, sesame sticks and a few other things. The base and dressing seem very versatile so I do think you could add whatever you prefer. My salad hating partner had seconds and took leftovers for lunch!
Sounds delicious! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Dottie!
Nicole says
Loved this salad! I didn’t notice until I got going that the chickpeas needed to be baked ahead of time, though, so it took longer than 30 min because I did that. But it would still be great with the chickpeas not baked, too- I probably should have done that. The whole family loved this salad and it was very filling! This is something I would serve to guests along with soup.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Nicole! Thank you for sharing! xo
Aimed says
I love this recipe!!! Tho I’m not sure why the veggies became soggy after a few hours? Maybe the zucchini? The veggies are not dry at all and when I was about to mix them for dinner it was watery. Any tips on how to make it dry like I notice your zucchini looks on the dry side. Mine were soggy and soft and I put them in the oven as per your recommended time.
Hi Aimed, a few ideas would be 1) was your baking sheet overcrowded?, 2) were they sliced as thinly?, 3) did they have too much oil?, or 4) if none of those were the issue, try increasing the oven temperature to 400 F next time. Hope that helps!
Denise says
Having already been a big fan of yours Dana, I tried this recipe and my husbie and I thought it was awesome!! Such a great combination of flavors. Only thing I did differently was omit the avocado (felt it would get lost in all the other flavors) and added roasted beets. I seemed like a great fall salad (even though it’s still summer). I enjoy your recipes and the way you make eating plants so delicious!!
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Denise! We are so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! xoxo
Samantha says
Wow! This totally delicious. I made it without radishes and instead added tomatoes and used quinoa as my optional extra. Yummy shall make again. Thanks for the recipe.
xoxo!
Kathleen says
This is truly unbelievable!!!
I made it for a dinner party last night and even though this is ‘salad’ every molecule of it was eaten. Pretty sure someone even wanted to lick the serving dish – haha!!! I’ve never had anyone wishing for salad leftovers to take home either! It also looked soooo beautiful on the serving table. Thank you for this recipe, I expect it to become a regular around here.
Amaziiing! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Kathleen! xo
Jessika says
I made this salad yesterday and it was so delicious, nutritious and colourful! I will be making this again :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jessika! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
megan m says
New favorite salad. Not my typical go-to ingredients for a salad but was more than pleasantly surprised especially with the roasted cabbage coconut oil & curry combo – love! Also great for lunch leftovers.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Robin says
I LOVE THIS DRESSING. So easy and so delicious.
Laura says
Second time making this (must’ve forgotten to leave a review before!) and I upgraded it from four to five stars in my personal recipe box- it was soooooo good this time! I’m so excited to have leftovers for the week, it’s basically a super food salad!
I subbed a few things based on what I had- used sunflower seeds in place of hemp, and plain cannelini beans for the chickpeas, and sauerkraut instead of kimchi. Yum yum yum!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Carolyn says
Made this without the kimchi and used cauliflower instead of roasted cabbage. So good! Definitely recommend this salad and will be part of the regular rotation!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn. Thank you for sharing! xo
Amber says
I’ve made this salad a few times now and it’s my favorite!! The beat salad ever, super filling, all my favorite things, and it’s good for meal prep since it does keep pretty well for a few days! Love it.
Jane says
Thanks for this recipe Dana! I am going to make it tomorrow with your curry lentil soup for a lunch date and will rate it then. Quick query though. I am so curious why you use both fresh and powdered garlic. I’ve never seen that before but I often wonder what the theory is behind fresh vs powdered/granulated.
They offer two completely different flavors! But stick with one if you don’t have the other.
Nerina Elliot says
what can I say but yum yum yum and so so healthy
Whoop!
Margaret Moore says
RE:ABUNDANCE KALE SALAD WITH SAVORY TAHINI DRESSING image. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible. Thank You! Margaret :)
Sarah says
This is my all time favorite salad. Soooo filling, so delicious and so healthy. Served warm or cold, I can eat this for an entire week and not get bored.
Shea Petty says
Hi Dana!
I love all your recipes and have been following you and making all your deliciousness since 2012!
Everything you do is AMAZING. From the delicious recipes, creativity you have, PHOTOS, all the love and care you put into your craft is so apparent that it just oozes out everywhere so much awesomeness!
If there was ONE piece of feedback for you after all these (mouthwatering) years… every recipe I have EVER made of yours always takes usually about or at least, twice as long. The ONLY thing I would ask is if you could PLEASE put more accurate prep and cook times, because I wanna know how long this baby is actually going to take me! AND it’s always nice to have an overshot and finish early than an under and finish late.
That’s just my two cents!!
As I said, YOU’RE AMAZING and I THANK YOU for all that you do.
From a long time listener & loyal follower…
SO MUCH LOVE ?
Shea
I really appreciate the feedback, Shea! We’ll try to be even more accurate in advertising how long recipes might require moving forward. Thanks!
Marian says
This is the best salad!! An easy recipe. I added roasted red pepper for more color. Not only is it tasty, but the presentation is beautiful! My husband and I loved it. The dressing made the salad. It’s a keeper, and I can’t wait to make it for my family. Thank you Dana!!
So glad to hear it, Marian! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Kathleen says
I’d made this salad for a dinner party last night where I’d also made mahamurra (a roasted red pepper dip) and today I added some of the leftover mahamurra to the salad dressing and the leftover ingredients of this salad – really, really, really tasty.
Jen says
Omg the sauce!! Was great. Seriously this was so yummy. Even my non vegan hubs loved it.
I absolutely make this one again. This is my new fav salad.
Thanks so much!
Whoop! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Frances Macken says
This looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it later today.
Stephanie says
I love this dressing, it is my everyday go to dressing.
Yay!
Amy Beck says
This was fabulous; my first entry into roasted vegetable bowls and tahini dressing and it’s a keeper! What an easy way to make our meals plant based for the family. I used remaining ingredients to make a couple smaller lunches the next day and it tasted just as great (I added the dressing at the time of serving, unsure how it’d make it soggy).
Thanks, Amy!
Erin M says
I made this last night and my bf went crazy for it. I added roasted carrots and grilled tofu (sauteed in curry powder and coconut oil) and it was great. Gonna add this to the rotation.
Yay! Glad to hear it!
Megan says
Another yummy recipe! Quick, easy and delicious!
Amanda says
Made this salad today! I used rice instead of quinoa and it still tasted great! I didn’t find it very filling but I think it’s because I didn’t have the avocado or hemp seeds, and I was suuuuuper hungry haha. Thanks for the simple plant-based greatness <3
Katie says
This dressing is officially AMAZING. I had some leftover and used it as a dip for some sliced cucumbers. Next level snacking right there! Thank you for yet another winning recipe! ?
Yay! Glad to hear it, Katie!
Caitlin says
What seasoning do you recommend on the chickpeas for this salad?
Kristi says
I made this for lunches for last week almost exactly as the recipe stated, only subbing spinach for kale because I’m not kale lover. I added baked crumbled tempeh and crunchy chickpeas for added protein. The salad was so amazing and fun to eat for lunch every day. It was satisfying and healthy and the tahini dressing is yum! I bought the ingredients so I can make it again this week!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Kristi!
Allie says
I have been wanting to try this one. I finally did today, I improvised a little I didn’t have zucchini so I used asparagus instead I didn’t have radishes I just did without :( and I used arugula as my base. I did add the shwarma seasoned chickpeas (so easy to make!!!) and I did tri color quinoa. Everything came out amazing. Safe to say I love every Damn recipe I make for this site. Thanks for being you!
Woot woot! Thanks for sharing, Allie!
Erin S says
I made this last night and let me just say WOW! One of the best salads I’ve had…ever! The flavors work together beautifully and because I added the roasted veggies to the salad while they were still warm, the crisp of the greens, crunch of the garbanzos and warmth of the veggies was to die for. I haven’t made a MB recipe I didn’t like but this one takes the cake! So good!
Allissa says
Made this for dinner tonight and added sprouts, like the recipe pictures. Sooooo delicious. Definitely adding to the rotation!
Yay!
Lauren says
I made this and was blown away. I’ve been wanting to play around with a tahini dressing for a while and this one was everything. Very easy. I left out quite a bit of ingredients for ease and lack of proper planning but ended up with quinoa, sprouts, radishes, sweet potatoes, pickled asparagus (my substitute for kimchi?), avocado, flax seed, and that damn fine dressing. i LOVED it. thanks minbaker! this was my first recipe of yours and i’m feeling inspired :)
Paloma says
I made this dressing last night with a squeeze of lemon. So good!
Gigi says
Just made this and all I can say is YUM!!! I made the fresh green curry paste and made the dressing. Very delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
Samantha says
I cannot do tahini as I am allergic to sesame seed :(. What other suggestions do you have for the tahini dressing? I want to try and keep the creaminess and thickness that tahini brings to a salad.
Hi Samantha! You could try to substitute with any nut butter (I’d try almond or natural peanut butter) but it will taste different than the original recipe. Report back if you give it a try!
Michelle says
So delicious. And fresh. Yum!
I didn’t care for the thick dressing so I thinner mine with water almost like a coleslaw dressing. Because of this, I knew red cabbage would be a great add to this mix! I really liked peeling the chickpeas (even tho time consuming, the day was perfect for this therapeutic task) to get the extra crisp factor.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Brooklyn says
I made this the other day. It was fabulous. Will definitely make again – and soon!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, Brooklyn!
Erika says
This salad has been on repeat in our house for a few weeks now. So easy to just roast whatever veggies you happen to have and throw it together. Delicious!
Sarah says
I was looking for something healthy but different and wow, did we find it. A very simple and quick recipe but with many layers of flavor and complexities. A new family favorite that will be made over and over again. Thanks!
Autumn Rozario Hall says
It was delicious and so pretty to eat! I’m going to use left overs for a quick lunch.
Sarah L says
This took me quite a bit longer than 30 minutes due to making the chickpeas from scratch, but holy moly was it worth it. This is the most beautiful salad I’ve ever made, and it tasted as good as it looked. I can’t wait to have it again for lunch tomorrow! Next time I’ll just prep the chickpeas and quinoa beforehand and it should be a lot faster.
Amy says
Man, this salad was insanely good. Like, leave my $17 Manhattan hipster salads good.
Helen Black says
This is a great combo of flavours, colours and textures and a real winner thanks so much. Plus of course you can adapt it to fit with what you have on hand in the fridge.
Tip for those in the UK, Tesco’s own brand Organic Chickpeas (in a carton) don’t seem to have the skins on the chickpeas and are quite large compared with some brands so they work well with the roasting process in this recipe,
Meghann says
I made this today and it was so yummy! The dressing was awesome, I’m used to a tahini/lemon dressing so this was awesome. Also I made it ahead of time for a party so when I served it the veggies were cold and it was actually awesome. I think this would be a good option to keep all ingredients in fridge for a few days and just assemble at meal times! ??
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Brianna says
This was delicious! I didn’t have radishes so I put some red onion. ?? Do you think the dressing will keep for a day? I have some left over. :)
Hi Brianna! Yes – dressing stored separately will keep for 7 days.
Pixie @ Cheerfully Vegan says
What kind of sprout did you picture in this recipe? I’ve been very basic in my sprouting and want to branch out. Those look tasty.
Jenny says
LOVE all of the textures and colors in this! It’s a hearty salad that really fills you up and that tahini dressing is crave worthy!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Thank for sharing, Jenny!
Abigail says
Wow, that it was one packed salad! When I flew from America to China and back using Hainan Airlines, I enjoyed some surprisingly delicious food. It had a lot of flavor from Indian-style spices. Maybe poor airline food only afflicts American airlines? All of the flights I took within China and/or through Chinese airlines served good food.
Anyway, I digress. I love the addition of the roasted sweet potato rounds. Roasting is one of my favorite preparations for sweet potato. I don’t usually care for creamy dressings, but given that tahini, not mayonnaise or yogurt, lends the creaminess, I might give yours a try. Thanks for sharing! As always, you photos are stunning temptations for the eyes.
erika says
I’m not a huge creamy dressing person either, but tahini is creamy in a unique – and incredibly delicious – way. I can’t get enough!
Lauren Roberts says
Hi! This dish was aaaaaaamzing! Everyone loved it, no radishes or kimchi but everything else was added. Thank you thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Natalie In Montreal says
I agree. you have got me hooked on Tahini dressing. I only ever used it for hummus but now salad dressing I buy it so much more often now :) Thank you for the inspiration.
Amara says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was next level amazing. As always. Not even surprised.
Thanks again!!!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Airplane food is something else, and NOT in a good way :\ more salads need to be fresh and colorful with loads of vegetables! I love how vibrant this salad is and how diverse the add-ins are. Sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and cabbage are always the best combination!
~Heather says
Salad dressing + TSA = A dry salad for the plane :(
They’ve even taken my unopened hummus away from me. Gonna try the dressing while I’m home though, it looks delicious!
So I don’t know about your experience, but if I dress the salad they have never taken it away. But yes, they’ve taken hummus away : (((
Lauren says
Always looking for new tahini dressing recipes! Thanks!
Hope you love it!
Shelby says
Looks great! Going to try this for dinner tonight. You have got me hooked on tahini salad dressing.