This recipe for veggie salad with a lemon tahini dressing is crunchy, flavorful, full of nutrition, and so easy to make! Make this crunchy vegetable salad with romaine lettuce, carrots, sliced radishes, snap peas, avocado, and chickpeas. Top off with a delicious, lemony, smooth, tahini dressing you can whip up in seconds!

I’ll start this out with a shocking statement: I’m not a fan of salad! Really? That’s right. I’m a plant-based vegan who doesn’t like salad….unless it’s a really special salad! Like this one:) So no, I can’t be bothered with your run-of-the-mill ordinary green salad with a few vegetables and dressing on top. I need a big bold great salad!

What makes a great salad?

Great question! And while the answer is certainly subjective, I’ll say that for me a salad has to have a few things :

great flavor profile – including savory, tart, salty and a little sweet
an interesting texture – a little crunch along with something chewy or soft
add in some protein so I can make it a complete meal

Pin now to save for later:

The best salad will have a little crunch, a little chew, and a little creamy or soft. This chickpea veggie salad gets its crunch from the lettuce (of course), but also from the sugar snap peas and carrots. Combined with chunks of avocado, some high protein chickpeas, all tossed with a creamy lemony tahini dressing, and you’ve got a recipe for a veggie salad that I promise you, will be a great salad!

Looking for some other great salads?

Try my Strawberry Spinach Salad with Quinoa, or my Very Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette, or Easy Vegan Italian Pasta Salad. All qualify as great salads!

What you will need to make this recipe for Veggie Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing:

(There is a handy printable recipe card below if you continue scrolling. On this recipe card, you will find exact measurements and directions. Please read through the following tips section to learn more about making this recipe for veggie salad.)

You will need:

For the Veggie Salad:
- romaine lettuce
- radishes
- carrots
- snap peas
- avocado
- chickpeas
For the tahini dressing:
- tahini
- maple syrup
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- oil (or water if you are eating oil-free)

How to make a crunchy, flavorful, really great salad:

First, Start with greens of some sort.

This recipe for veggie salad uses romaine lettuce. You can either buy a bag a pre-washed and pre-cut romaine, or you can buy a head of romaine, wash it well and cut into one-inch strips. You will need about eight cups of chopped romaine lettuce.

torn romaine lettuce on wooden cutting board — Buy either bagged pre-washed romaine or buy a head and prepare it yourself.

Next, add in some crunchy vegetables for texture and flavor

This recipe uses radishes for a little crunch and their slightly sharp peppery flavor. They are thinly sliced though, so the intense flavor won’t be too overpowering in any one bite.

sliced radishes on wooden cutting board — Add in thinly sliced radishes for their crunch and peppery shape flavor.

This recipe also uses sliced carrots and snap peas. Sometimes my snap peas tend to be a little tough and stringy. Simply “snap” the stem side off and pull the stringy part out. Then cut the snap peas into small one-inch pieces.

two photos of sugar snap peas showing stringy parts removed and also showing 1 inch cuts — First snap off the stem ends and pull stringy parts out. Then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cut the carrots into small bite-sized pieces. Either chop small or slice. Sometimes I buy the carrot sticks and then cut them smaller. I’ve also bought shredded carrots – but you won’t get the same crunch effect.

Now that we’ve got the “crunch” taken care of, let’s talk about the soft and creamy part.

We cut an avocado into small chunks and gently toss in. Remember that avocado will not last long once opened and cut. The rest of the salad can be assembled ahead of time but wait until just before serving to add the avocado.

What to put in a salad to make it healthy?

You can either add in some seeds, nuts, or beans. All are higher in protein and really help to make your salad healthy. This recipe for veggie salad uses a can of chickpeas for a little extra protein, and texture. Use canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans). Rinse and drain well. Chickpeas are a nutritional powerhouse and they help to keep you full a little longer. To learn more about the nutritional benefits of chickpeas, read this article by Healthline.com. If you choose to cook your own chickpeas, you will need about 1 1/2 cups.

How to make Tahini Dressing:

This is the easiest and quickest salad dressing you will make. All you need is a small bowl or container and a whisk. Add your ingredients and just give a little whisk to combine well.

The recipe is written adding in one Tablespoon of oil. It does make a creamier textured dressing that will stick well to your lettuce and veggies. I personally am trying to eat oil-free and replace the oil with one Tablespoon of water. It still tastes great and I honestly don’t notice much of a difference.

Serving suggestions and add-ins:

You’ll want to eat this salad right away as the avocado won’t keep well. If you choose to assemble ahead of time, then wait to open the avocado and pour the dressing till right before serving.

How many people will the salad serve?

This salad will serve two very generous dinner-sized portions or three smaller side salad portions.

Serve with this delicious Garlic Beer Bread!

You can also top the salad with my Cashew Parm shaken on top!

And now for the recipe:

I hope you enjoy the recipe, but don’t say good-bye! Sign-up here for recipe tips and kitchen wisdom. I also invite you to email me with any questions you have. When you become a part of the Veggie Fun Kitchen Community, you’ll learn to cook great tasting recipes the whole family will enjoy! (No spam here! I will never share your email, and you can unsubscribe whenever you want!)