I’m definitely a saucy girl; I love sauces!
Between this Creamy Tahini Sauce and my Seven Seeds Mix (coming soon), you can turn just about any savoury dish into a crunchy, saucy delight!
Not to boast (ok, a little), but this is probably the only creamy sauce or dressing you’ll ever need 😉
This is the ultimate tahini sauce because it’s creamy and flavourful, not to mention super healthy, completely plant-based, nut-free, gluten-free and oil-free! (If you eat oil-free, you know how hard it can be to find a recipe that doesn’t include oil–especially sauces and dressings.)
And did I mention how ridiculously easy it is to make? No? Now you know 🙂
Tahini makes a really versatile sauce that can be used as: a salad dressing, a pasta sauce, a creamy sauce for your rice or grain bowl, as a spread on sandwiches and wraps, or as a delicious drizzle for your homemade tacos and soups.
Seriously, you can put this stuff on–or in–just about anything! Heck, you can even turn it into a sweet spread, or a topping for desserts. (Note to self…)
Tahini: The Famous Sesame Seed Paste
My Egyptian friends like to eat tahini with molasses, which is…not for everyone, admittedly. But I love the taste of this sweetened sesame paste! In the Middle East and Turkey, it’s eaten for breakfast, as a dessert, or as a snack or dip–and who doesn’t love a good dip? So if you have some tahini and molasses in your pantry,–and brave tastebuds–give this combination a try!
But what is tahini? Most people know tahini as an ingredient in hummus dip or baba ganoush. But it’s more than that! Yes, it’s “just” sesame seed paste, but the creaminess and slightly nutty (sesame) taste can add just the right velvety texture to both sweet and savoury dishes.
Plus, since tahini is made from seeds, it’s naturally nut-free and perfect for people with peanut or tree nut allergies. And of course, tahini can be used as a simple, versatile vegan sauce, like in this recipe!
So If you’re looking to simplify your weekly food prep–and sneak in some more greens–my Creamy Tahini Sauce has got you smothered. (Sorry, I had to.)
Eat Your Greens
Speaking of greens, this sauce is at its best when you add the fresh cilantro or parsley–unless of course you happen to hate the taste of either one. In which case, feel free to use other fresh greens like kale, spinach, or even arugula or watercress! You can also make this tahini sauce even creamier by blending in some avocado!
So decadent, you’ll feel like you’re eating a fancy $20 salad at your favourite vegan eatery 😉
If you do like cilantro, I highly suggest you use it–lots of it. Even conventional non-organic cilantro is packed with nutrition and health benefits (more on that below), and it’s usually under $2.00 per bunch. Cilantro also has a milder taste compared to parsley, but it still adds a zesty punch and beautiful green colour to this sauce. So feel free to add more than in this recipe!
Don’t you just feel healthier when you eat more greens?
Aside from greens, this tahini sauce is also full of vitamin C from freshly squeezed lemon juice. The acidity and zest of lemon juice helps tone down the slight bitterness of tahini (which will vary from one tahini brand or batch to another). Tahini and lemon juice are meant for each other!
As usual, I’ve tried to keep this recipe simple and with minimal equipment or tools needed (which means less washing, yay). You can also use the same measuring cup (¼ cup) for all of the ingredients. (For example, to total ½ cup of tahini, you would use the ¼ cup 2 times.)
Bonus “green” points if you use an immersion blender and blend everything right in your reusable storage container (maybe I’m just lazy?) 😉
Health Benefits
- Tahini is made of sesame seeds, which are a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus (1oz/28g provides about 27% of the recommended daily intake of calcium).Sesame seeds–and most seeds, for that matter–are a good source of fiber. We all know about how important fiber is, right? Well it is! Fiber is underappreciated and under consumed in most of the world. If you want to optimize your health, consuming lots of fiber should be a daily goal! (Quick tip: aim for about 30g every day.)
Fiber is essential for bowel motility, which means it helps your intestines get rid of biological waste and toxins like heavy metals in the body.
Eating sesame seeds may also reduce inflammation, which is the culprit behind most, if not all, chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. This study shows that sesame seeds might inhibit inflammation (inflammatory cytokines), and this study shows that it improves total cholesterol.
- Lemon: as you probably know, lemons and lemon juice are high in Vitamin C (A.K.A. ascorbic acid), which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and it plays a key role in the immune system and skin health.In addition to vitamin C, lemon juice has Vitamin B6 (involved in energy production), and minerals like potassium and iron. In fact, vitamin C (& citric acid) helps with the absorption of iron.So make sure to squeeze some lemon into any meals with iron-rich foods…like using this tahini sauce in your leafy green salad, wink wink.
- Cilantro / Parsley:
Fun Fact: until I started using it in this recipe, I rarely ever bought fresh cilantro or parsley–even knowing all their health benefits. And now I eat a literal bunch of cilantro (or more) every week. So let this recipe be your reason for eating these tasty fresh herbs!
Now, you could spend an entire day reading up on the benefits of cilantro, so here are just a few key points.Wondering about the differences between cilantro and parsley? This article helps shed some light.Both cilantro and parsley are good sources of Vitamins A, C and K, which help support healthy skin & bones. They also have antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in the body as well as potentially reduce photoaging of the skin, as per this study.
I mention cilantro and parsley together because they have similar effects with chelating heavy metals in the body. Heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury build up in our body from day-to-day activities. These heavy metals are neurotoxic (toxic to the brain/neurons), and in high amounts they’ve been linked to neurodegenerative diseases and death. (Ever heard of Emperor Qin Shi Huang ? Spoiler: mercury poisoning is a beach!)
Now, I’m actually a fan of heavy metal as a music genre (I love checking out local bands when I can) but I’m not a fan of heavy metals in my body.
So how can you help your body chelate and excrete heavy metals like mercury and lead? Cilantro, of course! (And don’t forget fiber!)
- Garlic: it’s the pungent vegetable that flavours your food–and your breath. But it’s also a potent medicinal ingredient.It’s no secret: garlic has potent antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial properties; it also helps to boost the immune system and to reduce blood pressure for those with hypertension.
What you might not hear as often is that garlic has sulfur compounds (like the well-known allicin) that help the liver detoxify the body from heavy metals! Full circle.
So this recipe is an all-around booster of skin health and the immune system, and it helps detoxify your body from heavy metals!
How Much Should I Make?
Although this recipe is the perfect amount for a family-sized kale salad dressing, I really recommend making a double batch. Consider this recipe a “taster” batch; if you love it as much as I (and my friends & family) do, go ahead and double it!
In short, this Creamy Tahini Sauce is indeed creamy and saucy. But it’s more than just a salad dressing! It’s an all-purpose, savoury, zesty sauce that you can add in or drizzle on to amp up just about any meal.
You can make it for the week so you’ll always have a yummy tahini sauce to give some “oomph” to your salads, pasta, grain bowls, wraps, soups, stews, curries and most any meal you can think of!
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Creamy Tahini Sauce (with Greens)
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup lemon juice (or half apple cider vinegar & water)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 small garlic clove, chopped or minced
Instructions
WITH BLENDER:
- In a reusable container: add the tahini, lemon juice, water, salt and garlic.(TIP: if using a countertop blender, just put all of the ingredients in your blender pitcher.)
- Cilantro (or other greens): wash your bunch very well, in a bowl with cold water (or under cold running water, which is more water-intensive).Then roughly chop up the greens and add them to your container.
- Blend everything until smooth.
- Check saltiness & consistency. If you want a runnier dressing (for drizzling), add some water, a tablespoon at a time. If you want a thicker texture, add a bit of tahini, one teaspoon at a time.Serve & enjoy!
WITHOUT BLENDER:
- Finely chop or grate your fresh garlic, or make a paste by flattening it repeatedly with the flat edge of your knife.
- In a reusable container: add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Mix it up with a spoon or spatula, making sure there are no lumps.Then add the water and salt, and mix everything well.
- Cilantro (or other greens): wash your bunch very well, in a bowl with cold water (or under cold running water, which is more water-intensive).Then chop it up as finely as you’d like, since the greens will not be pureed by a blender. Add the greens to the tahini mixture.
- Mix everything until smooth.
- Check saltiness & consistency. If you want a runnier dressing (for drizzling), add some water, one tablespoon at a time. If you want a thicker texture, add a bit of tahini, one teaspoon at a time.Serve & enjoy!
