12 Vegan Recipes with Tahini - The New Baguette

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Bought a jar of tahini for one recipe and not sure what to do with the rest? Read on for all my tahini tips and a dozen delicious ways to use it up.

Many of us buy our first jar of tahini to make a batch of homemade hummus, or the lemony sauce that goes with falafel and shawarma. Then we tuck the rest into the fridge. As the weeks pass, the jar gets pushed further and further back into the abyss – way past the more popular condiments – not to be seen again until some sort of big fridge clean-out a year later. Sound familiar?

This was certainly the case for me and my first jar circa 2017, when Yotam Ottolenghi succeeded in making the paste a staple of kitchens everywhere beyond his native Israel.

But I kept experimenting and tahini is now one of my favorite ingredients. Read on for all my tahini tips, as well as my favorite recipes – from dips and noodles, to brownies and more.

What is Tahini

Tahini is a sesame seed paste. Classically made with just one ingredient, this nutty spread is a staple ingredient across many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, including Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Greece. You can sort of think of it as peanut butter’s foreign cousin.

It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, and an excellent source of protein (3 grams per tablespoon) and fiber (2 grams per tablespoon).

How to Find the Best Tahini

It’s common for people to think they don’t like cooking with tahini because they got a bad jar once, and now they believe that all tahini is bitter and gritty. But once you taste a great one, you’ll be a convert. Here’s what to look for:

Middle Eastern or Mediterranean brands. If you can get your hands on one, purchase a brand imported from a country that’s known for using tahini. These are always the best.
Light beige color. Signals a milder-tasting, minimally bitter tahini.
Smooth, runny texture. It’s normal for oil to separate out to the top of the paste when you’re picking out a jar at the store. But once you bring it home and stir the oil back in, the tahini should be smooth, shiny, and pourable.
Some brands I can safely recommend are: Krinos, Soom, Seed + Mill, Ziyad. The Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods 365 brands are also great.

At the grocery store, look for tahini in the international foods aisle or near the other nut butters.

How to Store Tahini

First off, never discard the oil that separates out on top of the paste – it is key to maintaining its creamy texture. Instead, once you bring the jar home from the store, vigorously stir the oil in with a butter knife. Once the tahini is smooth, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 year.