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Home Eat Salads

Rudy’s Sunshine Salad

5 from 4 votes
Recipe Print Share
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Mar 18, 2022 9 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

With fresh seasonal veggies and a creamy tahini sauce, this is the only veggie salad you’ll need all summer!

Every recipe on the blog so far has been my own creation. But then Rudolph, one of our readers, emailed me one day. The subject line was, “It’s yours to use or publish as you wish”, and the email was simply this recipe – Rudy’s Sunshine Salad.

So I made it. And it was delicious. And the combination of ingredients and flavors that I never would have thought of on my own inspired me to discover even more reader recipes.

And so this week I’m so excited to be featuring YOUR recipes! I put a call out for recipes and you all delivered. Coming up we’ve got coconut veggies from the Philippines and a weeknight pasta from London and stuffed tomatoes from a lake house in Missouri.

But first, we’re kicking it off with the recipe that started it all. Rudy’s Sunshine Salad!

Here’s What You’ll Need

  • Limes: We’ll be using both the zest (which adds lime flavor) and the juice (which adds acidity) to bring some power to the salad dressing.
  • Salt: Salt will enhance the flavors of the dressing and all the veggies!
  • Tahini: Tahini, or sesame seed paste, can have an overpowering flavor on its own (go ahead and lick the spoon, you’ll see!), but it makes a creamy base for the salad dressing and is delightful when mixed up with everything!
  • Olive Oil: Aim for a good quality extra virgin olive oil. The flavor will shine through!
  • Chickpeas: Honestly, do we even need a reason for chickpeas? You know I love ’em!
  • Cucumbers: You can use either seeded or non-seeded (English) cucumbers here.
  • Celery: The bright flavors of the celery balance out the tahini dressing and add a hefty dose of crunch!
  • Cilantro: And finally, Rudy’s favorite part of the salad (and mine too!) – the fresh cilantro.

How to make this veggie salad

Step 1: Dressing
Grate the zest from one of the limes and add it to a medium bowl, along with the juice from both limes. Whisk in salt, tahini, and olive oil. It should be thick but pourable.

Step 2: Salad
Drain the chickpeas and chop the cucumber, celery, and cilantro. Add it all to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Toss
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

And that’s how you make Rudy’s Sunshine Salad! It’s equal parts easy, delicious, and perfect for summer. Enjoy!

More Refreshing Summer Eats

From refreshing ingredients to grilled fruit, there’s a reason why these dishes are perfect for summer!

  • Grilled Watermelon Salad
  • Tomato Gazpacho
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Tomato Pesto Caprese Panini

And be sure to try out our other featured Reader Recipes, like Kyaw’s Porcini Pasta, Marika’s Coconut Veggies, and Trish’s Broiled Tomatoes!

Rudy’s Sunshine Salad

5 from 4 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories: 327kcal
Servings: 4 serving
Print Rate
With fresh seasonal veggies and a creamy tahini sauce, this is the only veggie salad you’ll need all summer!

Ingredients

  • 2 limes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup tahini 60 g
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 60 mL
  • 1 14-oz can chickpeas drained, 400 g
  • 2 medium cucumbers cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 5 stalks celery diced
  • ½ cup cilantro finely chopped

Instructions

  • Dressing: Grate the zest from 1 lime and add it to a medium bowl, along with the juice from both limes. Whisk in salt, tahini, and olive oil.
  • Salad: Add drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, diced celery, and chopped cilantro to a large bowl.
  • Toss: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving Calories: 327kcal (16%) Carbohydrates: 30.5g (10%) Protein: 7.8g (16%) Fat: 21.8g (34%) Saturated Fat: 3.1g (19%) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 853mg (37%) Potassium: 517mg (15%) Fiber: 6.9g (29%) Sugar: 3.5g (4%) Calcium: 134mg (13%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
Did You Make This?

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Reader Interactions

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Rate this Recipe:




  1. Teri says

    Posted on 7/20 at 11:57 am

    This is so good — I love the crunch!

    Reply
  2. Sue says

    Posted on 7/20 at 1:51 pm

    Lovely easy to make healthy salad. Added a diced crispy apple which worked well too.5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/20 at 2:16 pm

      That sounds delicious! 😀

  3. Lea says

    Posted on 7/25 at 6:41 am

    Hi Sarah, Rudy’s Sunshine Salad looks absolutely delicious. It is filled with all of my favorites. think this could become one of my go to salads. I’ve pinned this and am looking forward to when I can make it. Thank you for sharing Rudy’s recipe.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/26 at 12:08 pm

      So happy you liked it, Lea! 😀

  4. Lois says

    Posted on 7/25 at 10:56 am

    My meat eater hubby and I really loved the flavors of this salad. Hardy enough for light dinner. Use bread to get all the delicious dressing! I left out the cilantro because I am not crazy about it. Will made again and again!5 stars

    Reply
  5. Nic says

    Posted on 7/25 at 6:52 pm

    Holy moly, this was DELISH. Admittedly, I was skeptical cuz I never would have mixed all of these ingredients together, but this recipe used up a bunch of veg from my recent CSA box & I am sooo happy I decided to go for it! I used just 1 super juicy lime, less salt, half of the EVOO, and a mixture of cilantro/parsley. Thanks for posting this, Rudy rocks 🙂5 stars

    Reply
  6. Amanda says

    Posted on 7/26 at 11:53 am

    Is there a substitute for the cilantro? I have all other ingredients but that and didn’t want that to hold me up making this it looks so good! 😊

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/26 at 12:10 pm

      Cilantro is a hard one to sub out, so I’d def recommend trying to get your hands on some for this recipe! For an herby flavor you can use parsley, though the taste will be quite different!

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A flavor-loving nutritionist and sensory science specialist showing you how to make easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time.

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