Tahini Dressing over Mediterranean Salad

Sharon123's Note:

Developed for the RSC#7 contest, this is easy and the taste is flavorful! This also makes a great dip or sauce to serve over vegs., etc.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2

Dressing

• 4 tablespoons sesami tahini
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/8 cup capers, minced
• 1/8 cup kalamata olive, minced
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
• paprika (to garnish)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced (any color)
• 1 cup chickpeas, cooked and cooled (or canned)
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients together in a bowl.If you would like a little sweetness, add the brown sugar. But try it without first. If the sauce is too thick, you may thin with a little water or lemon juice.
2. Slice vegetables for salad. Add chickpeas. Place on plate, salt and pepper to taste, but remember the dressing is full of flavor! Sprinkle feta cheese over the top.
3. Add the dressing and enjoy! The dressing is also good over felafels, vegs., and grains.
4. If taking on a picnic, pack the salad and the dressing separately. Mix together when serving.

Reviews

[evelyn/athens]

absolutely delicious! Nothing 'shy' about this dressing - full of assertive layers of flavour (just as I like it). Tried it first without the sugar - good, but a bit 'rough' around the edges...the 1/2 tsp of brown sugar really smoothed them out. Loved the veggy/cheese combo, which I used to fill a pita wrap. This is one salad that makes an excellent sandwich! Good going, chef.

[PaulaG]

This an interesting combination. While I liked the dressing, I thought the salad itself would have been better if the vegetables had been diced instead of sliced. I used a sweet white onion in place of the red simply because I didn't have the red. I did add the optional brown sugar. Thanks!