I’ve always been a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine from shish kababs to tabouli and everything in between. One of the sauces I love to spoon over grilled meats and vegetables is a refreshing tahini salad dressing made with herbs, garlic, and lemon.
Enjoy this recipe!
Tahini Salad Dressing with Mint
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp mint leaves fresh chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon fresh squeezed
- 1/2 cup Tahini can be purchased at middle eastern markets and healthy food stores
- add a little water to thin out the dressing.
Instructions
- Mix or whisk all ingredients. Add a little water to get the consistency you want. Use the tahini dressing for salads or vegetable toppings. Yummy and healthy! Note: Make sure to mix the tahini first as it tends to be thicker on the bottom before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Serve on mixed greens
About Tahini
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Unlike sesame paste, tahini is made from hulled sesame seeds and is a more refined product. It’s used widely in Mediterranean, Asian, and African cuisine. Sesame seeds have been eaten for over 7,000 years and tahini is an ancient dish. It originated in Persia where it was known as “holy food.”
You can make tahini paste by blanching sesame seeds in hot water until the hulls float away. Then grind them and add a little salt and olive oil to make a paste. Or, find packaged tahini paste at Middle Eastern markets, specialty stores, and some local grocery stores. Make sure it’s as fresh as possible. Keep it at room temperature until you open the jar and then refrigerate it. Only store it for a couple of weeks at the most. If it’s refrigerated too long, the oil in the tahini will begin to turn rancid.
Have you used Tahini? What is your favorite way to eat it? Please leave a comment below.
I use Tahini for a Hummus recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. It’s delish!
I can (15 ounces) of chickpeas drained reserving 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid.
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of Tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. of ground cumin
1/8 tsp. of ground red pepper
1/2 tsp. of salt
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Combine all in the food processor. Puree until smooth. Add the chickpea liquid if needed if it is to thick. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours to let flavors blend. Serves 5. Calories per serving 251, 8 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbs, 16 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 447 mg of sodium, 0 mg of cholesterol,5 g of fiber
Thanks, so much for sharing your recipe, Cathy. It sounds delicious, There are so many variations to try. I love hummus too.