So, you’re feeling in love with tahini and wish you could use it for more than just making hummus? Been there, done that, learned so much about the potential and possibilities. And we have a few tips to share about cooking with tahini.
What have you used tahini for other than adding much more flavor to your hummus? I hadn’t thought of that for a long time, but once the problem came to my mind, I had to solve it in a creative and efficient way. I actually remember the moment. I was at a friend’s house, and he brought the jar to the dinner table, took a knife to it and spread it on some toast. I tasted it, felt its buttery texture and its strange dusty, bitter aftertaste. But the trick with tahini, despite my friend’s assertion that it works great ‘as is’, as he put it, I feel like it works best when you give it other flavors to play with.
Tahini is a butter made from sesame seeds which most people use to make hummus, but then forget that they have a jar of it in a cupboard somewhere. Let’s prevent that, shall we, and not let a good and tasty thing go to waste!
Here is an idea for you: make this kale and chickpea salad with tahini sauce and enjoy the deliciousness!
6 ways of cooking with tahini
1. Make tartines
Take it from my friend, who knows his food. He might wince if you call him a foodie, but he sort of is. So why not make a great tahini spread? Just think about adding more texture or creaminess to the tahini. So either add some honey or some crushed nuts (whichever is your favorite) or both! Then just spread this on toast and you’re good to go!
2. Make a dip or a sauce
We already know that chickpeas and tahini really go well together. So why not try the combo in a different way? Make a tahini dipping sauce for your falafels, which, as you know, are made with chickpeas too. You can cook the falafel or buy it frozen at the store. But direct your attention toward the tahini. How do you make it saucier? By diluting it with some water and lemon juice, to give it an acidic kick.
Looking for your next dish crush? How about these zucchini noodles with chicken and tahini sauce?
3. Veggies, meet tahini
Cooking with tahini doesn’t have to be this very complicated thing. Julienne some vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and whatever else you want, and then straight up dip them in the tahini. You can add some lemon juice to it again, hot sauce or some chili flakes, to make the flavors more complex. And you can use this at a party. It’s pretty healthy, but also crunchy and creamy.
4. Go for salad dressing
Since you know already that tahini works well with vegetables, why not turn tahini into a delicious salad dressing? You can add some olive oil to it, some vinegar and even a bit of honey and then drizzle over your favorite salad. You can also add some lemon juice if you want because it tends to really up the ante taste-wise.
5. Add it to cream soups
It’s already creamy, so you know it’s going to be great texture-wise if you add it to your cream soups. It can be used as a soup thickener, so your mashed veggies will have a new friend to play with.
6. Make mashed sweet potatoes
Since I mentioned mashed veggies, how about making some mashed sweet potatoes and adding some of that sweet tahini to the dish? Use a food processor for this and add just a bit of honey and tahini to the mash. You surely won’t regret it!
