Description
A refreshing and vibrant vegan salad combining smashed cucumbers, chickpeas, and pomegranate, tossed with a zesty chilli-lime tahini dressing and served with a creamy coconut tahini sauce. Perfect as a light meal or snack, accompanied by crackers or bread.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad:
- 200g baby or regular cucumbers, trimmed
- 200g chickpeas, drained weight
- 3 radishes, sliced thinly
- 40g pomegranate seeds
- 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp)
- ½ tsp tahini (chilli-lime) seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Coconut Tahini Cream:
- 120g thick coconut yoghurt
- 1 tbsp runny, smooth tahini
- ½ lemon, juiced and zested (about 1 tbsp juice and zest)
To Serve:
- Vegan feta cheese, crumbled
- Tortillas, nachos, crackers or bread
- Extra tajin (chilli-lime) seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumbers: Place the cucumbers on a chopping board and use a rolling pin to smash them. Then roughly chop into 1-inch pieces and place them in a sieve over a bowl with a big pinch of salt. Leave to one side for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Make the salad: While the cucumbers are resting, add the chickpeas, sliced radishes, pomegranate seeds, spring onion, chopped mint, olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, chilli-lime tahini seasoning, salt, and pepper into a bowl. Toss everything well to combine the flavors.
- Prepare the coconut tahini cream: In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut yoghurt, smooth tahini, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
- Finish the cucumbers: Rinse the salted cucumbers under cold water to remove some of the salt, then pat them dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Add the cucumbers to the salad bowl and toss everything together carefully.
- Serve: Spread a layer of the coconut tahini cream on a large serving plate. Pile the cucumber and chickpea salad in the center. Top with crumbled vegan feta cheese and sprinkle with additional tajin seasoning if desired. Serve alongside tortillas, nachos, crackers, or bread.
- Storage: Enjoy the salad immediately, or store the salad and coconut tahini cream separately in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Notes
- Salting the cucumbers helps remove excess water, keeping the salad crisp and preventing sogginess.
- You can substitute chickpeas with other beans like white beans or black beans if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of maple syrup and lemon juice to suit your preferred balance of sweetness and acidity.
- For a non-vegan option, substitute vegan feta with regular feta cheese.
- Serving suggestions include wrapping the salad in tortillas or scooping with crackers for a satisfying snack.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (half the recipe)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
