With the dull grey skies of winter abound, what better way to color your world than with vibrant, nourishing superfoods! I love winter for many reasons. I love hiking, skiing, running, and eating hearty winter soups, stews, and salads. Yes! Raw salads loaded with bright, delicious, vibrant vegetables, fresh herbs, seeds, nuts, and sprouts! I love shaved Brussels sprouts and purple cabbage. Bite-sized crowns of golden and purple broccoli, multicolored carrots, mixed with a variety of dark leafy greens…does it get any better? Add some fermented vegetables and hemp seeds, and baby I’m yours!
But a big salad needs a big dressing. I wanted it to pack a punch and be as colorful and nutritious! After working out a few recipes, I finally decided on this Beet and Tahini dressing! This match made in heaven dressing is an instant love connection and the perfect accompaniment for my winter “veg fest” salad! Suffering from a little seasonal affected disorder? Adding some dark leafy greens like kale or rainbow chard to your diet has been shown to decrease the winter blues!
I always keep Cleveland Kitchen’s Beet Red Raw Gut Saurkraut on hand. It is delicious, and I use it on salads, tacos, Buddha bowls, and sometimes I eat it directly out of the bag! It also makes the best salad dressing. It is so good for you with fermented red cabbage, beets, and carrots! Did you know that eating fermented foods can also boost beneficial gut bacteria and improve digestion?
No worries, if you don’t have the kraut, add some shredded carrots, a little red wine vinegar, and a roasted beet to the blender and blend away! I also added a tablespoon of beet juice powder. Again, no worries if you don’t have it. I love it for so many reasons (it’s a great food coloring) but mostly because I wanted the added nutrition! Beet Roots Juice is a highly concentrated powder that boosts brainpower, improves athletic performance, fights inflammation, and supports liver health…the list goes on and on!
I also added ashwagandha to my dressing because, well, I add it to everything! If you don’t know it, ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub in the Solanaceae or nightshade family that grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. It is used for improving blood sugar, reducing inflammation, boosting mood, improving memory, and reducing stress and anxiety!
It keeps well in the fridge, and it works quite well over roasted vegetables and white beans, too! You can even add a little stock and make soup out of it, or add some chickpeas and turn it into hummus! If you make it let me know!
Stay warm,
XO-
Steph
Beet & Tahin Superfood Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (if cooking beets)
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
I love this recipe! It’s nutritionally dense and gut healthy! You can double the recipe and freeze the half you don’t use!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of shredded red beet slaw or 1 medium beet, washed, peeled, roasted, and shredded, and 1/3 cup shredded carrots
- 1 tablespoon of beet juice powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced herbs (I used chervil and oregano)
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup water (add more depending on consistency)
Instructions
- If using a whole beet instead of the fermented slaw, wash and trim the beet. Rub in olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Place in aluminum foil and roast at 425°F for 45 minutes, or boil on the stovetop until fork-tender, about 25 minutes.
- Let cool and add 1/3 cup shredded carrots and a teaspoon of red wine vinegar.
- Add all ingredients to blender and blitz well until blended.
- Taste for seasoning.
- Store in an air-tight container for up two 7 days in the refrigerator.