10 Vegan Tahini Recipes

Tahini is a paste made from ground up sesame seeds that comes from the Middle East. While it’s a main ingredient in hummus, its smooth, nutty flavor makes it very versatile and easy to pair with both sweet and savory flavors.

As sesame seeds are packed with nutrients, tahini also has many health benefits. One tablespoon provides 3g of protein, and more than 10 percent of your daily needs of each vitamins B1 and B6, phosphorous, and manganese. While it contains 8g of fat, more than half of that is in the form of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Tahini is also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

We’ve selected 10 vegan recipes that make excellent use of tahini’s creamy texture and nutty flavor.

Read more: 11 Vegan Apple Dessert Recipes

Vegan tahini recipes

Buttery charred cabbage in spiced tomatoes with tahini

If you’re ever stuck for ideas for how to use up a cabbage, this recipe from Nisha Vora’s cookbook BIG VEGAN FLAVOR is a great one to try. Quarter the cabbage and char the wedges in a skillet then let them cook through in the rich tomato sauce. Mix tahini with lemon juice, maple syrup, and spices to make a creamy sauce and dollop generously on top of the cooked cabbage and tomatoes.

Find the recipe here.

Roasted cauliflower salad with dates and tahini

There may be no better flavor pairing than dates and tahini. This nutritious salad from The Clean Vegan Cookbook by Jackie Akerberg brings them together with roasted cauliflower florets. Tamari and nutritional yeast add some additional savory notes, and the lemony tahini dressing ties it altogether.

Find the recipe here.

Falafels with smoky tahini sauce

vegan, gluten-free, oil-free falafels made with chickpeas and topped with a tahini sauce — Dreena Burton Give these oil-free falafels a try, they’re flavorsome and topped with a smoky tahini dressing

These healthy falafels by Dreena Burton are made with chickpeas, rolled oats, and load of spices. They’re packed with flavor and only need to be lightly fried until crispy and golden on the outside. The tahini sauce contains smoked paprika and maple syrup for a smoky-sweet taste.

Find the recipe here.

Creamy tahini kale salad

A creamy vegan tahini kale salad — Viva! This kale salad couldn’t be easier to prepare

Raw kale can be hard to chew and digest. This recipe by Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club calls for massaging it first — yes you read that correctly — to help soften it up. Mix the kale with any other ingredients of your choice, such as tinned pulses, artichokes, avocado, and/or cherry tomatoes. The sweet, tangy dressing involves mixing up tahini with vinegar, olive oil, tamari, and maple syrup.

Find the recipe here.

Creamy apple, courgetti, and tahini salad

An courgetti salad with apple and tahini — Happy Skin Kitchen This vegan salad is quick and simple to make

This is a super simple salad from Happy Skin Kitchen that would be a lovely lunch or side for a more substantial dinner. Spiralize the apple and courgette and toss with toasted walnuts. Mix in the tahini dressing, which is made here using similar ingredients to other recipes in this list, except with the addition of miso paste for some added richness.

Find the recipe here.

20-minute stir fry recipe with tofu and tahini

A close-up of a vegan stir fry featuring tahini, tofu, peppers, greens, carrots, and other veg — Viva's Vegan Recipe Club Get a protein kick with this quick recipe

Armed with a block of tofu, your favorite veggies, and a pack of straight-to-wok noodles, you can whip up this tasty stir-fry in just 20 minutes. The sauce, made of tahini, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, and lime juice, brings it all together with its salty, umami flavors. The recipe is from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club.

Find the recipe here.

Protein-packed bowl with black beans and tofu

a picture of a protein packed bowl filled with quinoa, black beans, smoky tofu, and cabbage — BOSH! This recipe has three types of plant protein in it

This bowl from BOSH! packs a big punch of nutrition, with tofu, black beans, and quinoa for protein, fiber, and nutrients such as iron and calcium. Mixed with loads of spices and drizzled with a simple tahini dressing, it’s filling, flavorsome, and nourishing.

Find the recipe here.

‘Firecracker’ smashed sweet potatoes

Smashed sweet potatoes with tahini and cannellini beans — BOSH! This smashed sweet potato recipe is tasty, nutritious, and protein-packed

Another BOSH! recipe, and this one is perfect for colder nights, perhaps eaten round a camp fire. Roast and smash the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper to bring some heat. Top with a cooked cannellini bean and spinach mixture and finish with a spicy tahini dressing. It’ll warm you up in no time.

Find the recipe here.

‘Egg’ salad sandwich

Clean Food Dirty Girl brings you this filling, nutritious recipe for “egg” salad sandwich. The “egg” is made from crumbled tofu mixed with a cashew-based mayo, made with ingredients including tahini, nutritional yeast, and mustard. Black salt, available in many international grocery stores, provides the eggy flavor.

Find the recipe here.

Flourless tahini brownies

Flourless tahini vegan brownies on parchment paper — Claire Sharryn Roberto Gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free, these brownies defy all expectations

Claire Sharryn Roberto has come up with the perfect fudgy vegan brownie recipe, and it’s gluten-free too! Flax “eggs” and arrowroot powder bring all the ingredients together into the right consistency. The pairing of cocoa powder and tahini give the brownies a rich, chocolatey flavor, with any bitterness offset by maple syrup and coconut sugar.

Find the recipe here.

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