In the past, I’ve gone to great lengths to avoid using tahini. It’s just so expensive, I thought, and what on earth would I do with an entire jar of sesame paste? Sure, I like hummus like any red-blooded Millennial, but I just couldn’t see making that much of it from scratch.
Little did I know that tahini can be used for other things besides hummus.
A few weeks ago I came across this helpful post on Babble that set me straight. Twenty-eight ways to use tahini that AREN’T hummus? The mystery! The intrigue! Turns out the sesame flavor and smooth texture of tahini lends itself to salad dressings, pestos, and even…brownies? While that particular suggestion may be going a bit too far for my tastes, the idea did broaden my horizons. When I ended up buying a jar at Trader Joe’s (for only around $3–far cheaper than I expected) it was with plenty of options on my radar.
This amazing all-purpose tahini sauce started its life as a dressing for a to-die-for roasted cauliflower salad over at Budget Bytes, but in my house, it’s turned into so much more. This week I put it on baked salmon, dipped pita in it, and have been seriously considering its possibilities as a sandwich spread. (With a bit of deli turkey, sprouts, and cucumber, it sounds like Mediterranean perfection.) I could see it working well on grilled chicken, as a veggie dip, or on falafel.
And, if you’re really adventurous, I suppose you could even use it in brownies.
Amazing All-Purpose Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 c. tahini
- 1/3 c. water
- 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, mix all ingredients until well combined. Keep covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
