Romaine and Apple Salad with Oil-Free Sesame Dressing

Complemented by a chicken, Romaine, and apple salad, using the power of the Vitamix allows you to create delicious dressing without paying for expensive tahini. It crushes the sesame seeds, releasing the natural oils and helping the flavors to excel.

Ingredients

For the Dressing
½ cup (120 ml) cold water
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 lime, peeled
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
¾ cup (100 g) sesame seeds, toasted
1 bunch fresh parsley leaves
½ bunch (20 g) fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
2 head (400 g) romaine lettuce, chopped
4 cups (475 cups) shredded cooked chicken
2 medium (200 g) apples, cubed
¾ cup (100 g) dried cranberries
1 cup (175 g) almonds
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

For the Dressing Place ingredients in the Vitamix Immersion Blending Jar or appropriately sized container.
Submerge the immersion blender below the surface of the liquid, or as close to the ingredients as possible. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Move the immersion blender around, including up and down, to blend the ingredients for approximately 90 seconds or until desired consistency is achieved. Refrigerate and hold for assembly with salad.
For the Salad In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, chicken, and 3/4 cup of the dressing. Toss thoroughly and top with the apples, cranberries, almonds, and additional sesame seeds.

Notes

This dressing can be treated similarly to a Caesar-style dressing. Add a little bit, mix the ingredients, and add more if desired - it chills well, but will lose it's green color over a few days due to the acidity and greens reacting with each other, so it is best eaten the day it is made.

Nutrition

1 serving (35g)

Calories: 40
Total Fat: 3.5g
Total Carbohydrate: 2g
- Dietary Fiber: 5.17g
- Sugars: 1g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 7.56mg
Sodium: 10mg