When you mix tahini and lemon it makes a creamy, nutty, & tangy dressing that is even better than the mayo versions Americans made popular. The best thing about veggie slaw is almost any veggie is good in it. The two staples are carrots & cabbage but feel free to experiment like the photo, add fennel, zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers, radishes, even greens such as kale, mustard & chard.
It tastes great served as a side, on burgers and sandwiches, and as a whole meal itself when topped with beans like chickpeas or seared tofu.
The recipe is a guideline but feel free to adjust with whatever in-season or favorite veggies you have.
Ingredients:
2 carrots (shredded with a cheese grater)
2-4 cabbage leaves (finely chopped)
1 handful fennel (finely chopped)
Any other veggies you’d like!
Dressing: 1-2 lemons, 2-4 spoonfuls of tahini
Optional enhancements:
– 1 can of chickpeas / cannellini / kidney / black beans
– 1 handful cranberries
– diced onion or garlic
– 1/2 tofu block, cut into chunks & seared
– dash of olive oil in dressing
– Seasonings like sumac or mint
To Prepare:
If using tofu prepare and allow to cool before adding. To make the dressing, juice lemons into a small bowl (watch for seeds!) and add tahini in small amounts, and stir vigorously. It may take a while to blend so mix and set aside. Shred veggies and throw in a large bowl. If dressing hasn’t come together yet with more stirring add a bit more tahini, it should be fairly creamy in appearance and not too watery. Add dressing to the bowl and toss until well coated. You may find some veggies like kale taste better with more dressing while veggies like carrot will likely not need as much. Sumac or mint are a great addition to the dressing.
Serve as it is now, or it saves well a day or so in the fridge. If using this recipe for meal prep, you can keep the dressing separate and add it when serving later to extend the life for about a week. (Remember that lemon “cooks” things so it will be wilted if adding dressing too far ahead of time). Goes great on burgers or sandwiches.
Enjoy!
