Tahini

This cooling soba salad has a creamy, savory dressing flavored with tahini, miso, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Jicama matchsticks add crunch, while avocado contributes richness.

Be sure to roll the meatballs firmly into the millet so that the tiny grains don't fall off during frying.

Swap in any kind of ground meat and any kind of vegetable for this saucy, clean-out-your-pantry rice noodle stir-fry.

The appearance of tahini cookies, tahini brownies, and halvah sundaes at restaurants helped boost tahini out of the hummus bowl and into the pastry case. This tahini quick bread recipe will make you a believer too.

Philosophical question: Is it still a wedge if it isn't smothered in blue cheese and bacon? It's debatable, but we do know that this is a healthyish wedge salad we'd happily eat every day. It's got the rich part—a creamy tahini dressing that's so thick it anchors the greens. It's got the crunchy stuff—seeds and coarse salt. And it's got freshness—actual lettuce and herbs. Iceberg who?

Tossed with a miso and tahini dressing, this spring-evoking grain bowl can be topped with whatever seasonal produce looks irresistible at the market.

This super-oishii (“delicious”) spicy ramen bowl is made with basic pantry staples, such as miso paste and tahini, plus Sriracha for spice! I love adding a bit more Sriracha for heat, and topping it all off with a slightly runny soft-boiled egg.

These boldly chocolatey (and completely flourless) brownies get topped with a savory swirl of tahini. Dragging a toothpick through them to make pretty designs is part of the fun.

The secret to making a smooth, light, fluffy dip is to use warm just-cooked chickpeas. And the Instant Pot makes that easy.

Since the base of this dip is so simple—it's mostly sweet potatoes and tahini—homemade za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend) really helps the flavors stand out.

This tahini dressing recipe goes especially well with bitter greens but can also be paired with sweeter lettuces such as Little Gem or romaine.

This simple berry-studded cake recipe is a real keeper.

Think of these tahini cookies as grown-up peanut butter cookies. The tahini lends a creamy, earthy flavor.

The savory quality of the herbed sweet-sour plums, plus this incredibly creamy tahini and lemon dressing, is unthinkably tasty.

Don’t be afraid to let the food processor run the full 2 minutes. It’s one of the keys to super-smooth, aerated hummus.

Smoky bacon, crunchy shredded lettuce, and a zesty dressing—what’s not to like?

This savory, addictive dressing will taste good on just about anything, including cold noodle salads.

Given my very high regard for a grilled naked lamb chop, all juicy and charred, when I do go for something more elaborate, it's got to be worth it. This dish is. Here, the meat is coated in toasted whole spices—fennel, coriander, and cumin seeds—that have been very lightly crushed. The seeds retain their texture, giving the meat both a heady scent and a good crunch. For serving, a tahini-lemon sauce adds a rich nuttiness, while a dash of sumac provides its berrylike tartness.

Both types of tahini should be roughly the same consistency for this halvah recipe—ideally pretty loose and pourable—which makes it easy to marble them. Most black tahini will be great, but Roland and Whole Foods 365 Organic were the best of the white tahini we tested.

Tahini (aka ground sesame paste) replaces the traditional heavy cream in these orange-scented treats for a nuttier but equally rich flavor.