Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice

Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice

Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice

Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice
– My New Go-To Sauce

We saw My Fair Lady the other night in an intimate performance on the Montana State University campus. So enjoyable, with such memorable songs and music. I’m still singing them throughout the day. “You did it. You did it! You said that you would do it, and indeed you did.” Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and SpiceThese lyrics especially came to mind upon tasting Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice on a stalk of broccoli. You did it. You did it. My newest go-to sauce for almost everything.

Thick and thin
Depending on how you’ll serve Tahini Sauce determines how thick or thin to prepare it. Make it thick for a dip with crudités or as a sauce for falafels, roasted cauliflower or other vegetables. Thin the Tahini Sauce with a little additional fresh lemon juice for a creamy dressing to toss on a salad.

Tahina? Tahini?

Hmmm, I just noticed that my favorite producers of tahini have changed the Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spicename of their product from tahina to tahini. Guess they got tired of explaining why they called it tahina when everyone in the U.S. knows it as tahini. Tahina is the Arabic/Hebrew word for sesame paste. Tahini is the Greek spelling.

As of last fall, my favorite tahini comes from three Philadelphia-based sisters. They’ve perfected a smooth, nutty tahini under their brand Soom Foods. What a difference in flavor and looks between this tahini and the one I used to use. A bit more expensive, yet much more than a bit better.

Chef Michael Solomonov taught me about tahina and Soom Foods’ in his recently published book Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking. The sisters source their sesame seeds from Ethiopia. According to Solomonov, they hull, roast, and process the seeds “to perfection in Israel. It’s rich and complex, with none of the aggressive bitterness characteristic of brands that use cheaper South American sesame.”

BTW soomsoom is the Hebrew word for sesame. Click here to learn how to pronounce it in Hebrew. 😉

Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice

Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice

Inspired by and adapted from a recipe by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich
in Bon Appetit Magazine. Dairy-free. Gluten-free.

  • Enjoy Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice as a dip for crudités. Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and SpiceBlanched broccoli and green beans with watermelon radishes are my current favorites.
  • Serve it as a sauce for falafels, roasted cauliflower or other vegetables.
  • Thin it with additional fresh lemon juice for a creamy dressing to toss on a salad.
  • When you have time, prepare Tahini Sauce at least a half hour before you serve it for the flavors to deepen.
  • Serving Tahini Sauce at room temperature enhances tahini’s rich, buttery flavor.

Makes 1 ¼ cups                                                      Printer-friendly Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ large garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallionsTahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch Aleppo or other red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup tahini
½ cup water

Directions

  1. With a food processor running, drop in the garlic to finely chop it.
  2. Add the cilantro, parsley, scallion, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes and fresh lemon juice. Pulse till coarsely chopped.
  3. Add the tahini. When just mixed, gradually add the water. The Tahini Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and SpiceSauce will be quite thin. Though, it thickens as it sits.
  4. When you have time, prepare Tahini Sauce at least ½ hour in advance for the flavors to deepen and the sauce to thicken. Serve at room temperature.
  5. Tahini Sauce can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.

4 thoughts on “Tahini Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Spice”

  1. I don’t have a food processor, but I hope this will work in my Viamix blender!! Thanks, Janice!

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