A good salad is all about its dressing, and this one has plenty of character. Made with tahini and given a lift by turmeric, it brings a lovely tangy roundness that turns the simplest vegetables into a dish full of flavour. Quick to make in a blender, it keeps easily for several days and works just as well on a salad as in a bowl of rice. Finally, a reason to look forward to eating your greens every day.
Green Salad with Creamy Turmeric Dressing
Share this article
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tbsp organic tahini
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp flaxseed oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper (adjust to taste)
Salad
- 1 head of romaine or other lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
Method
- Put all the dressing ingredients into a small blender and blend briefly until smooth.
- Use straight away on the salad, or as a dip for vegetables or over a bowl of rice.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Tip
This dressing keeps very well: make a bit extra so you have it on hand all week for salads or as a dip for raw vegetables.
The full range Plant-based oils and spices
11 products
FAQ: your questions about turmeric powder
How do you use turmeric powder in cooking?
Treat it as a background spice, never as the star ingredient. One or two pinches are enough to colour and flavour a soup, a dressing, a sauce, a purée or a hummus. Two tricks make a real difference: pair it with a fat, in which its pigments and curcumin dissolve far better — here, that's the role tahini plays — and add a turn of the pepper mill, since piperine improves its absorption. Add it gradually: beyond a certain point, bitterness takes over.
Fresh turmeric or powder?
Both have their place, and they don't quite do the same job. Fresh turmeric, as a rhizome, can be grated or juiced: it gives a brighter, almost lemony note and an intense colour — but it stains everything and doesn't keep long. The powder is more practical, more concentrated in earthy flavour, and can be measured precisely into a dressing like this one. A powder dried at low temperature keeps more aroma than an industrially processed turmeric.
How do you use turmeric powder day to day?
The simplest approach is to treat it like salt or pepper: keep a jar within reach, and add a pinch whenever you season. It blends in cold, in dressings, vinaigrettes and spreads, and is best added at the end of cooking rather than the start, since prolonged heat damages its pigments. For a drink, use about half a teaspoon in warm plant milk, with a little fat and a pinch of pepper.
Share this article