Superfood Mixed Grain Butterbean Salad with Tahini (Vegan)
Fresh, light, wholesome and delicious this herby, vegetable-packed Superfood Mixed Grain Butterbean Salad with Tahini is great for a quick 15-minute lunch or speedy dinner and is naturally high fibre, high protein and vegan.
This recipe started as a fridge clear-out meal, challenging myself to use what I have to make something delicious. The end result is a fresh and vibrant grain salad with beans for protein, avocado for healthy fats and a dreamy tahini dressing, because we all know the key to a good recipe starts with the sauce. You can use whatever veggies and salad you have to hand, to really keep this meal as a fridge clear-out kind, and swap in chickpeas or other beans for the butterbeans but I highly recommend sticking to the tahini dressing as it’s so good. It’s got lemon, garlic and is simple but so delicious.
Why will I love this salad?
This salad is so good:
- Fresh, vibrant, zingy, crunchy and creamy
- Packed with different coloured vegetables
- Range of different vitamins and polyphenols
- High in fibre
- Great source of protein
- High in plant diversity
- Gut-health
- Lots of lovely heart-healthy fats
- With lots of flavour
- Zingy creamy tahini dressing
- With pre-cooked grain mix to make this more diverse and quicker to make
- Ready in one bowl in 15 minutes
- No cooking required
- Ideal for lunchboxes, leftovers or a quick dinner
- Use whatever vegetables and salad you have
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free
- Naturally nut-free
- Easy to make
- Ideal for BBQs, picnics and to share
- Everyone will love it
If you already love the sound of this salad, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card and see my favourite and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the dressing:
- Runny smooth tahini: the better the taste of your tahini, the better the dressing will be.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I use the Citizens of Soil olive oil as the quality is amazing, and it add so much lovely flavour.
- Lemon juice and zest: this adds zestiness and freshness.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Salt and pepper: to season.
- Water: to thin out the dressing.
As for the salad:
- Pre-cooked grains: I always have a few pouches of Merchant Gourmet pre-cooked grains as they are so handy and are ready to eat. This is their 5 grain mix, but you can also use quinoa, buckwheat, bulgur wheat, rice, couscous etc. Just make sure it’s GF where needed.
- Butterbeans: these ad protein and fibre and I love the Bold Bean Co butterbeans as they are so plump and juicy. You can use chickpeas or cannellini beans, too.
- Cucumber: chopped small for freshness.
- Cherry tomatoes: slice in ½ or ¼ pieces.
- Fennel or cabbage: this adds so much texture and crunch. I used fennel here as I love the aniseed flavour but I know it’s not for everyone, so this also works really well with white cabbage.
- Spring onions: or red onion, finely chopped.
- Fresh mint: or you can use chive, coriander or basil, too.
- Pomegranate: these add a pop of colour and fruitiness.
- Avocado: for creaminess.
- Mixed seeds: to add some crunch on top as well as extra diversity and healthy fats.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as you use GF grains and this is also nut-free.
How do I make this?
This salad comes together in a few steps:
- Make the salad dressing: stir together the ingredients until smooth.
- Chop the veggies: into small pieces.
- Toss together the grains and all of the veggies: in a large bowl.
- Pour over the dressing: and toss well.
- Plate up, sprinkle with seeds: and enjoy. Or keep in sealed jars like these.
How long will it last?
Keep this salad in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
What other recipes can I try?
For more salad and lunchbox friendly meals:
- Herby Olive Butterbean Couscous Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
- 15-Minute Cold Peanut Satay Noodles
- Tofu Sushi Salad Jars with Tahini Sauce
- Mexican-Style Black Bean Salad
Superfood Mixed Grain Butterbean Salad with Tahini (Vegan)
Fresh, light, wholesome and delicious this herby, vegetable-packed Superfood Mixed Grain Butterbean Salad with Tahini is great for a quick 15-minute lunch or speedy dinner and is naturally high fibre, high protein and vegan.
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 2 tbsp runny smooth tahini
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 small garlic clove
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp water, to thin
For the Salad:
- 1 x 250g pre-cooked mixed grains
- 1 tin butterbeans, drained (drained weight 240g)
- 10-cm piece cucumber, chopped small
- 120g cherry tomatoes, in ½
- ½ large fennel or ¼ white cabbage, shredded (about 200g)
- 2 bunches fresh mint, chopped
- 80g pomegranate
- 1 avocado, sliced or cubed
- 2 spring onions, chopped small
- 2 tbsp mixed seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing by adding everything to a small jar with a lid, place the lid on tightly and shake to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For the salad, rinse the beans under water, chop all of the vegetables and herbs.
- To a large bowl, add the grains, beans, all of the vegetables, mint, pomegranate and avocado (if it’s really soft, save until last and serve on top). Pour over the salad dressing and toss well.
- Divide between two plates and serve with the seeds and extra pomegranate if you like.
- Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Superfood Mixed Grain Butterbean Salad with Tahini so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these rolls, I’d love to see, so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With super grain love x
Skip to Recipe