Spring Salad with Edible Flowers and Citrus Tahini Dressing
This Spring salad with edible flowers really lets the Citrus Tahini Dressing shine. Citrus zest and juice, combined with rich tahini give the dressing a bright zing while still being sweet and creamy. Top with edible flowers for a fairy garden touch!
One of the joys of partnering with local SisterLand Farms is discovering new and exciting foods that I once thought were inedible, like flowers. Who knew that the cheery purple and gold flowers that pop up in my sidewalk cracks every spring are actually edible! Violas, along with calendula, arugula and rosemary are just a few edible flowers that might be growing right in your own backyard. They add such a special touch to salads too, like you’ve stumbled into a fairy garden that you can eat for lunch!
Now that we’re eating flowers, let’s dive right into the dressing which is a lovely shade of pink (how cool is that?) from combining blood orange juice and tahini. Citrus zest and juice, mixed with rich tahini give the dressing a bright zing while still being sweet and creamy. I love using this dressing for salads but always keep some extra on hand to perk up leftover veggies, grains, and squash. It really tastes good on just about anything.
This spring salad features fresh sweet mixed greens, peppery radishes, and buttery toasted pine nuts, but feel free to experiment with what grows locally and seasonally in your area. Tossed with Citrus Tahini Dressing, you can’t go wrong!
Here are just a few reasons to enjoy Spring Salad with Edible Flowers:
Customizable, use any combination of greens and vegetables you have on hand
Beautiful, just look at those flowers!
Delicious dressing, the recipe makes extra for future use
Simple yet intensely flavorful
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
The juice and zest of 2 blood oranges (or 1 Valencia orange)
The juice and zest of 1 lime
The juice and zest of ½ a lemon
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/3 cup of tahini
For the Salad:
6 cups of mixed sweet greens, rinsed and spun dry
4 pink radishes, sliced in half-moons
3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts (see note)
Edible flowers for decorating the top
Makes 1¼ cups of dressing.
Instructions
1. Zest your oranges, lime, and lemon first. You need about 2 tablespoons of zest.
2. Juice the citrus next. You need 2/3 cup of juice.
3. Add the citrus zest, juice, maple syrup, vinegar, salt, and tahini to a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
4. Add the spring greens, radishes and pine nuts to a large bowl. Toss to combine
5. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss again until the leaves are well coated. You will have left over dressing.
6. Decorate the top with edible flowers.
Note:
*You will have leftover dressing to save for future salads.
Toast your own pine nuts by adding them to a skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently, until spotted and golden brown.
More zesty recipes to dive into:
Spring Salad with Edible Flowers and Citrus Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Instructions
- Zest your oranges, lime, and lemon first. You need about 2 tablespoons of zest.
- Juice the citrus next. You need 2/3 cup of juice.
- Add the citrus zest, juice, maple syrup, vinegar, salt, and tahini to a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Add the spring greens, radishes, and pine nuts to a large bowl. Toss to combine
- Drizzle with salad dressing and toss again until the leaves are well coated. You will have leftover dressing.
- Decorate the top with edible flowers.
Notes
*You will have leftover dressing to save for future salads.
Toast your own pine nuts by adding them to a skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently, until spotted and golden brown.
For step-by-step instructions and photos, see blog post.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
119.68Fat (grams)
7.55 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.91 gCarbs (grams)
12.76 gFiber (grams)
2.19 gNet carbs
10.57 gSugar (grams)
6.86 gProtein (grams)
2.92 gSodium (milligrams)
277.85 mgCholesterol (grams)
0.00 mgNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
