Quick Cucumber Noodle Salad with Tahini-Lime Dressing

This quick cucumber noodle salad with tahini-lime dressing is a meal I tossed together on a whim around 7pm this past Wednesday after spending 10+ hours in the kitchen. I had no intentions of sharing it on the blog, but it ended up looking so pretty and colorful that I decided to snap a few photos with my proper camera in case it ended up tasting good enough to share (note/my apologies: I didn’t realize that I had crossed the chopsticks — a symbol of denial — until I was editing the photos the following day). And it absolutely did.

It’s quick | Requiring just 15 minutes total, give or take a few depending on the deftness of your chopping and spiralizing skills.

It’s crunchy | Chopped romaine is topped with a heaping pile of crisp cucumber noodles, julienned carrots, and sliced radishes. Plus, a few tablespoons of seeds are sprinkled on top for extra crunch.

It’s fun to eat | Big bites of cucumber noodles that have been mingling with a creamy tahini-lime dressing. Yes, again and again, bite after bite.

It’s vibrant and packed with vitamins and minerals | Just look at it…

If you go on volume alone, you’ll think this salad makes way more than two servings, but trust me on this one.

After I snapped these photos, I promptly dumped this beaut of a salad into a large mixing bowl to accommodate my dressing slathering and then plopped on the couch, large metal mixing bowl in one hand and fork in the other. Dan promptly shot me a look and inquired, “Whoa, you got enough salad there? $5 says you won’t finish it.” An empty bowl and $5 bill exchange later, I was perfectly satisfied and deciding what I wanted for dessert (because there’s always room for dessert).

Moral of the story: using cucumber noodles as the main ingredient in this salad means this is the one instance in which your stomach will be bigger than your eyes. Load up a big bowl, drizzle on that dressing, and get crunching.

4 from 1 vote

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Quick Cucumber Noodle Salad with Creamy Tahini-Lime Dressing

Cooling cucumber noodles and hydrating veggies are tossed in a creamy tahini-lime dressing.

Course Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2

Author Ashley

Ingredients

Cucumber Noodle Salad

• 1 small head romaine, chopped
• 2 large hothouse (English) cucumbers, spiralized
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Creamy Tahini-Lime Dressing*

• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lime
• 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 to 4 tablespoons filtered water, as needed to thin

Instructions

1. Divide the romaine between two large bowls. Top with the cucumber noodles, carrots, radishes, scallions, cilantro, and seeds.
2. For the dressing: whisk together the tahini, tamari (to taste), lime juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, scallion (if using), and cilantro in a small bowl. If needed, add in the water, one tablespoon at a time, to thin the dressing. Adjust seasoning, adding more tamari or lime juice if needed.

Recipe Notes

*The creamy tahini-ginger dressing from this salad can also be used: https://www.blissfulbasil.com/2014/06/25/colorful-jicama-noodle-salad-with-creamy-tahini-ginger-dressing-vegan/