There are a lot of weird and wonderful dishes and ingredients that you can find in the aisles of a Trader Joe’s, but it can be hard to tell how you would actually go about eating some of them. With that in mind, we’re going to talk about exactly how to use Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce.
Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce is quite similar to hummus with no chickpeas. It makes a wonderful dipping sauce for pita bread, vegetables, and more – but you can also use it as part of a variety of different recipes.
Read ahead to discover what this tasty sauce is all about and the various delicious ways it can be eaten.
What Is Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce?
Before we get too deep into how to go about making a meal with the Herbed Tahini from Trader Joe’s, we should first talk about what this particular product actually is.
Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce is a flavored dipping sauce that is made with tahini. It’s pretty similar to hummus in a lot of ways, but without the chickpeas! You don’t want to get it mixed up with classic tahini, even though that is mostly what it is made from.
Tahini is the name of a paste or condiment that is made primarily from toasted ground sesame seeds. It is almost like smooth peanut butter but uses sesame seeds rather than peanuts. It’s very popular in the Middle East and is one of the key ingredients used to make hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.
If you’re looking to buy tahini for a recipe, then you might want to put this little tub back on the shelf. It contains a number of other things besides just the sesame seed paste you are after, so it won’t give the same result.
What is in Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce?
So, what is this dipping sauce made from, if it’s not just regular tahini with herbs in it? Well, it has a number of different flavors and ingredients that mellow out the tahini flavor and alter the texture to make it more like a sauce than a paste.
It’s herby and lemony, but distinctly earthy and nutty as well, with a gentle creaminess to it. It is also notably watered down, which means that it doesn’t stick in the mouth or overpower other ingredients in the way that classic Tahini does – and it’s vegan too!
As with most of the fare that Trader Joe’s sells, the ingredients themselves are pretty straightforward. In their Herbed Tahini Sauce, you will find:
- Tahini (sesame seeds)
- Water
- Parsley
- Garlic powder
- Citric acid (acidulant)
- Sea salt
- Chile flakes
It does contain a decent amount of fat (which is almost all from the sesame seeds themselves) but it is also high in Fiber and Iron, and it has a reasonable amount of Calcium and Potassium in it too.
It’s worth noting that the recommended serving is around ¼ cup (59g), which is less than ½ of the whole tub.
How to Use Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce
Probably the best way to eat the Herbed Tahini from Trader Joe’s is also the easiest: as a dipping sauce. You can simply put it out on the table and dip all kinds of things in it, or you can drizzle it over the top of vegetables, bread, and other dishes to add some flavor.
On its own, this stuff goes great with:
- Raw vegetables (carrots, cucumber, celery, peppers)
- Roasted vegetables (eggplant, broccoli, zucchini)
- Falafel
- Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves)
- Pita bread
- Breadsticks
- Rice dishes
- Drumsticks
- Couscous
You can also combine it with a few other things to make an excellent dressing. Try mixing it with some olive oil and apple cider vinegar and it will immediately liven up a salad.
There are all kinds of tasty dishes that you can make with this sauce. You could try it poured over the top of some hash browns and scrambled eggs for a vibrant and exciting breakfast, or you could mix it into a wrap with some roasted vegetables and herbed couscous.
Top Tips for Cooking with Herbed Tahini
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re wanting to make delicious meals with this sauce. Unlike tahini, this sauce does need to stay refrigerated, and you should eat it within a few days of opening it if you want it to be at its best.
To boost the flavor, consider adding extra virgin olive oil, mixing in your own fresh herbs, and maybe some additional acids like vinegar or lemon juice. It is already relatively high in salt and garlic, so it doesn’t need any more of those!
If you’re not a fan of the Herbed Tahini, then regular hummus might be more up your street. There are also loads of other great dipping sauces and spreads that you will find in the same section at Trader Joe’s.
A couple of fan favorites are their Vegan Salmonesque Spread, which has all the flavor of smoked salmon with none of the animal products, or their vegan tzatziki, which is made with a coconut oil-based dairy alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Cook Tahini?
Classic tahini is a highly versatile paste from the Middle East that is used in many different dishes. It’s best known as one of the core ingredients in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva, but it can be heated and cooked into some meals as well.
What’s the Best Way to Eat Tahini?
Tahini is sometimes used as a condiment, but it’s very cloying and slightly bitter so it is best eaten in combination with other ingredients as part of a dip, a hummus, a salad dressing, or cooked in a sauce.
Final Thoughts
So, how do you use Trader Joe’s Herbed Tahini Sauce? Well, you can use it in a very similar way to hummus.
It can be a delicious dipping sauce on its own, you can put it into wraps and sandwiches or onto falafel, or you can mix it up with some olive oil and vinegar to make a lovely salad dressing.
It’s a great sauce to get creative with, but it is worth noting that it contains quite a few more ingredients than classic tahini. If you have a recipe that calls for simple tahini paste, this sauce is probably going to be too diluted and flavorful to do the job.