It’s summertime, and this strawberry salad with creamy sesame dressing is perfect for a sunny day outside. 

This salad has everything: crunch from the radishes and the fresh lettuce, chewy texture from the strawberries and chickpeas, smooth creaminess, and a balance of bitter, sour, and sweet in the dressing. This will be a popular side dish for any meal. You can add more protein by serving it with warm, grilled salmon, pork, or chicken. I also listed more ingredient alternatives to try at the bottom of the page.

My dad isn’t a big fan of fruit in his salad. Maybe you aren’t, either. But I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this amazing creamy sesame dressing (the real showstopper of the whole thing). Make this sesame dressing in place of the ranch packet next time you toss together a simple house salad of your own; it’s very easy and really pleases the palate.  

You can make the sesame dressing warm, too, with cooked garlic and onion (instead of the dried powdered version). Cook the vegetables on low until tender; add the remaining ingredients, whisk in ½ cup plain yogurt (or plain almond milk yogurt for dairy-free). Then serve it warm over marinated pork tenderloin. We were licking the plate (while no one was looking, of course).  

Recipe Alternatives:

• Instead of Parmesan cheese, try goat cheese crumbles or crisp, warm bacon pieces.
• Honey is higher in fructose than table sugar. If you have IBS, you may tolerate brown sugar instead of the honey ingredient.
• Instead of onion and garlic powder, make the dressing the day before with fresh chives and freshly chopped garlic. Let it rest overnight in the refrigerator so the flavors meld.
• If you have a sesame allergy, omit the sesame, and add plain Greek yogurt.
• If you have a milk allergy, omit the Parmesan cheese, and add bacon.
• If you want more crunch, and can have wheat or gluten, try adding crunchy sourdough croutons.
• For more protein and healthy fats, add a piece of grilled salmon.

Whether you are looking for an easy summer salad or a new exciting salad dressing for your own, this is a great option.

1. _{Plain almond dairy-free yogurt alternative: Silk®. Silk. (n.d.). https://silk.com/plant-based-products/dairy-free-yogurt-alternatives/plain-almond-dairy-free-yogurt-alternative/} 
2. _{Ina Garten Bio & Top Recipes. (2014, July 2). Herb-marinated pork tenderloins. Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-marinated-pork-tenderloins-recipe-1948375} 

Strawberry Sesame Salad

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Whether you are looking for an easy summer salad or a new exciting salad dressing for your own, this is a great option. Gluten-Free, Low Lactose.

Servings: 6 Prep: 25 minsTotal: 25 mins

Ingredients

For The Salad

5-6 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed & chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, leaves chopped, discard stems (rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a linen or paper towel before cutting)

3 radishes, rinsed and sliced (green stems discarded)

6-8 large, fresh strawberries, rinsed & sliced (green stems discarded)

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (omit for a dairy-free salad)

2/3 cup canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), rinse & drain

1 ½ Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (you can toast them yourself or simply buy a jar at the grocery store already toasted)

For The Dressing

¾ cup light olive oil (light in flavor, not calories)

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp organic garlic powder

1/8 tsp organic onion powder

2 tsp honey

1 tsp salt

2 ½ Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Instructions

For The Salad

1

Start by rinsing your lettuce greens in a salad spinner if you’re lucky enough to have one. Fresh leaf lettuce can still have a lot of dirt on them. If you don’t have room for a salad spinner in your kitchen, simply rinse them well and then pat them dry with a clean linen towel or paper towel. Tear or chop greens into small pieces a little bigger than bit size. Toss greens into a large serving bowl.

2

Next, chop all the other ingredients listed for the salad and toss those into the bowl too.

3

Serve with the sesame dressing.

For The Dressing

4

Chop the fresh parsley into fine pieces (If you don’t have fresh, skip this ingredient. It’s not the same with dried parsley.)

5

Pour all the ingredients into a medium bowl or 4-cup measuring cup and whisk until combined. Store covered in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

Calories
284

Fat
25.7g

Carbs
9.0g

Protein
4.8g

Fiber
2.8g

Sodium
445.0mg

Sugars
3.7g

Sat. Fat
4.1g

Notes

Recipe Alternatives:

-Instead of Parmesan cheese, try goat cheese crumbles or crisp, warm bacon pieces.

-Honey is higher in fructose than table sugar. If you have IBS, you may tolerate brown sugar instead of the honey ingredient.

-Instead of onion and garlic powder, make the dressing the day before with fresh chives and freshly chopped garlic. Let it rest overnight in the refrigerator so the flavors meld.

-If you have a sesame allergy, omit the sesame, and add plain Greek yogurt.

-If you have a milk allergy, omit the Parmesan cheese, and add bacon.

-If you want more crunch, and can have wheat or gluten, try adding crunchy sourdough croutons.

-For more protein and healthy fats, add a piece of grilled salmon.