With a newly opened jar in my fridge, I’ve been on a tahini kick of late.
So, when a review copy of the new cookbook, “Sesame: Global Recipes & Stories of An Ancient Seed” (Ten Speed Press), landed in my mailbox, the timing was perfect.
The book was written by Rachel Simons, the founder of Seed+Mill, the first store in the United States that’s devoted to sesame products. Its tahini (ground sesame paste) and halva (fudge-like candy made from sesame paste) are used by top chefs and carried in more than 1,700 stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts.
Sesame seeds have been cultivated for as long as 5,500 years on the Indian subcontinent to make seed oil, Simons writes. With their naturally sweet nutty taste, they’ve also been strewn over bread in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as in Turkey, Jerusalem, Canada and China.
Get to know sesame in all its guises in her more than 80 recipes. There’s everything from “Dreamy, Creamy Banana & Sesame Smoothie,” “Pull-Apart Date & Tahini Rolls,” and “Spiced Tahini Hot Chocolate” to “Vegetarian Tahini Ramen,” “Oven-Roasted Trout with Spicy Avocado Relish” (garnished with sesame seeds), and “Heavenly Halva Cake.”
Simons’ “Thai-Inspired Tahini, Lime & Broccoli Salad” is the kind of dish you can make a meal out of for lunch or a light dinner. It’s also perfect as a side to most anything. And it is a sure-fire potluck dish since its crunchiness holds up.
This salad is centered around raw broccoli florets plus raw stems that get shredded. Admittedly, I like my broccoli a little less fibrous, so I actually blanched the florets, which worked well, and left the shredded stems raw. But you do you.
The dressing gets its creamy body from tahini that’s whisked with plenty of lime juice, soy sauce, hot honey, and grated garlic. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, but I thought it could use a little more. So, definitely taste and adjust. In fact, to make it more authentically Thai, I would actually use fish sauce instead of soy sauce next time, so I added that suggestion to the recipe.
The broccoli florets and shredded stems get tossed with sliced scallions, then the dressing. You might not need all it. Save any extra dressing in the fridge to enjoy over cold noodles, cold tofu or other veggies the next day.
Just before serving, sprinkle chopped cilantro and chopped mint over the salad, along with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
This is a hearty salad, full of crunch, creaminess, and of course, nuttiness.
Thai-Inspired Tahini, Lime & Broccoli Salad
(Serves 4 to 6)
2 pounds broccoli, stems and leaves included (about 2 crowns)
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (3 to 5 scallions)
1/2 cup tahini, plus more as needed
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
2 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce, to taste
2 teaspoons hot honey (see Note)
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Trim about 1 1/2 inches from the ends of the broccoli stalks and peel the stalks to remove the tough outer layer. Cut off the florets, leaving as much of the stalk as possible intact. Set the florets aside if you prefer them raw. Alternatively, blanch them in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside. Using the shredding or julienne blade of a food processor, a mandoline, or a sharp knife, julienne the stems and place them in a large bowl.
Chop the florets into 1/2-inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the stems. Add the scallions.
In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lime juice, soy sauce or fish sauce, hot honey, and garlic and whisk until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. If the dressing seems too thin, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more tahini.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly to coat. Set the mixture aside to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, to allow the broccoli to soften slightly. You can also cover the bowl and refrigerate the dressed broccoli for up to 8 hours before serving.
Just before serving, sprinkle the broccoli with the herbs, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Toss well.
Note: If you can’t find hot honey, add 1 teaspoon red chili flakes to 2 teaspoons regular honey or agave (a great vegan alternative).
Adapted from “Sesame” by Rachel Simons
More Delicious Recipes for Tahini: Grilled Corn with Tahini Chimichurri Sauce
And: Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pomegranate, Parsley and Pecans by Hugh Acheson
And: Sweet Tahini Rolls
And: Tahini Sheet Cake
And: Fig-Tahini Cookies by Republique
And: Tahini Cookies by Manresa Bread
