Name: Rudy's Sunshine Salad (Israeli-Inspired Tahini Salad)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
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)

Rudy’s Sunshine Salad | Tahini Israeli Salad

By Sarah Bond, BS Nutrition, MS Sensory Science, Updated Jan 20, 2025

4.73 from 55 ratings

Leave a Review

15 minutes

Serves 4 serving

105 Comments

Jump to Recipe

This post contains affiliate links.

With fresh seasonal veggies and a creamy tahini sauce, this Israeli-inspired tahini salad is packed with a variety of flavors and textures – there won’t be leftovers! This is a community-favorite recipe our readers always love!

A wooden spoon rests in a veggie salad of chickpeas, cucumber slices, celery, and herbs, all tossed together with a creamy dressing.

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

Reader rating

★★★★★

“This salad is my new obsession. Love that it isn’t a ton of ingredients and is so bright, zesty, crunchy and fresh.” —Megara

Add your review

Portrait of Rudolph in a kitchen sharing his delectable veggie salad recipe. Inspired by an Israeli classic, it highlights fresh ingredients and his undeniable love for cilantro.

Here’s What You’ll Need

This is just an overview – jump to the recipe card for full measurements and printable instructions.

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.
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!
Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas for simplicity, or cook your chickpeas from dried to save money.
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.

DIY Tahini

You can find tahini in most grocery stores, but we also have a guide to making tahini if you’re feeling adventurous!

Serve it with these cottage cheese stuffed tomatoes!

Chickpea veggie salad with cucumbers, celery, and cilantro, mixed in a creamy dressing. A wooden spoon is placed on top.

rate pin print remove ads

Rudy’s Sunshine Salad (Israeli-Inspired Tahini Salad)

4.73 from 55 ratings

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 15

Total: 15

Servings: serving

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.