Beet Noodle, Pea, and Arugula Salad with Lemon-Garlic Tahini Sauce
Try this Beet Noodle, Pea and Arugula Salad with Lemon-Garlic Tahini Sauce recipe.
Try this Beet Noodle, Pea and Arugula Salad with Lemon-Garlic Tahini Sauce recipe.
- Carbohydrate 36.7771249942318 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 12.1863 g
- Fiber 1.57456252932316 g
- Protein 14.6869437499341 g
- Saturated Fat 1.731493 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (212g)
- Sodium 101.769249999645 mg
- Sugar 35.2025624649087 g
- Trans Fat 0.681448 g
- Calories 300 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients – except for the water - in a medium bowl or pulse in a food processor until creamy. Add water as needed to make creamy. Taste and adjust to your preference.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the beet noodles. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes or until softened.
- In a bowl, toss together the beets and peas. Transfer to a serving bowl or plate and drizzle with lemon-tahini sauce. Optional: serve atop a bed of greens. Serve with extra sauce.
Swapping fresh lemon juice for pasteurized bottled citrus alters the dressing's pH balance, reducing the acidity required to cut through the high fat content of the sesame paste. Roasting raw beet noodles at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes drives off excess internal moisture through evaporation, concentrating their natural sugars while breaking down rigid cell walls. This thermal processing step prevents the root vegetables from releasing liquid onto the arugula later, which protects the leafy greens from wilting prematurely.
Emulsion Stability and Storage Mechanics
Tahini is a suspension of ground sesame solids in oil. Adding cold water drop by drop during the whisking phase forces oil droplets to trap moisture, creating a smooth emulsion through mechanical shear. This sauce maintains its structural integrity in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing is strongly discouraged because ice crystal formation ruptures the delicate fat-water emulsion, resulting in a grainy, separated sauce upon thawing. When preparing components ahead of time, keep the roasted beets separate from the greens until the final plating stage to preserve individual textural contrasts.
- Grainy dressing indicates water was added too quickly; whisk vigorously while streaming in additional liquid drop by drop to rebind the fat.
- Soggy noodles mean the roasting temperature dropped below 425 degrees; ensure the oven is fully preheated to evaporate surface moisture efficiently.
- Darkened arugula signals exposure to excess moisture; store greens with a dry paper towel to absorb ambient humidity.
