Vegan Apple Walnut Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
This salad is a genuinely exciting bowl of food — crisp apple slices, shaved fennel, and a bed of mixed greens lifted by fresh parsley and torn mint, all topped with warm, toasty walnuts. Every ingredient here is completely plant-based, so there's no need to swap anything out or second-guess a label. The real star is the lemon tahini dressing, which comes together by whisking tahini with fresh lemon juice, zest, a touch of maple syrup, and olive oil until it's silky and pourable — rich and bright at the same time. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet for just a few minutes before chopping them makes a noticeable difference, adding a nutty depth that plays beautifully against the sweet-tart apple and the anise-like crunch of fennel. It's the kind of salad that actually satisfies rather than leaving you reaching for something else an hour later. The whole thing comes together in well under 30 minutes and serves four, making it an easy weeknight side or a light lunch that feels a little special.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- ½ cup raw walnut halves
- 5 oz mixed greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
- 1 large crisp apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp water, plus more to thin
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4–5 minutes. Watch closely, as they can burn quickly. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 2 minutes, then roughly chop.
- 2
Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the dressing is pourable and coats the back of a spoon — it should flow easily off a spoon without being watery. Taste and adjust salt.
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