Tahini Dressing, Two Ways

Every other Thursday, Gena Hamshaw of the blog Choosing Raw shares satisfying, flavorful recipes that also happen to be vegan.

Today: Meet the mother sauces of vegan cooking. 

There’s something about the creamy texture of tahini -- coupled with its nutty, slightly bitter taste -- that makes for one killer dressing.  

And if you make it a little thicker, you can turn it into sauce. And if you make sauce, you’ll find that tahini is not only perfect for a salads and slaws, but also for warm bowls of simple, homemade fare. Some of my favorite combinations are: 

• Sweet potato, toasted chickpeas, and steamed or sautéed kale
• Soba noodles, steamed broccoli, grated carrots, and red cabbage
• Brown rice, steamed greens, hijiki, black beans, and sesame seeds
• Quinoa, raw marinated kale, and hemp seeds

The possibilities are endless.

Today, I'm sharing two classic varieties of tahini dressing. One is inspired by Asian flavors (sesame, garlic, rice vinegar, and ginger), and the other is made with lemon and garlic. You can use either dressing for any purpose, but I like a thicker sesame tahini sauce over brown rice, and a thinner lemon tahini dressing over salads. 

Modify both dressings to suit your taste, and then think about all of the marvelous, mix-and-match bowls you can serve them over. 

Sesame Tahini Dressing

Makes 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Makes 1 1/3 cups

1/2 cup tahini
2/3 to 3/4 cups water (as needed)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Black pepper, to taste

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by James Ransom