Archive for March 29th, 2007

Jerusalem Salad

Jerusalem Salad

Tonight I went over to my friend Sandy’s house for falafel, and I agreed to bring the fixin’s. Stewart and I love falafel with Jerusalem salad, lettuce, hummus, and extra tahini sauce. We skipped the hummus this time, but I thought you might like the recipe for the sauce and the salad.

First thing’s first: tahini. It’s both a paste and a sauce made from crushed sesame seeds. The paste is similar to peanut butter in consistency, but it’s not as sweet. I quite dislike the paste straight up; I find it kind of bitter. But don’t base your judgment on tahini solely on how it tastes straight from the jar. I much prefer it in hummus, or mixed into creamy sauces for a nutty, almost cheesy flavor boost.

Tahini is also a sauce, but you really only run across this variation when you’re eating middle eastern food, like falafel. It’s simply tahini paste mixed with water, lemon juice, salt and sometimes olive oil and garlic. The simple additions do wonders for the flavor, turning into a great dressing. You’ll need the sauce for the Jerusalem salad, but make extra and keep some in the fridge.

Basic Tahini Sauce
Makes enough for Jerusalem Salad, plus extra for drizzling over falafel

1/4 Cup Tahini (paste)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix water and tahini until smooth with a whisk. Whisk in remaining ingredients and set aside (or chill).

Jerusalem Salad
Makes enough for 4-6 falafels in pitas

1 Medium Cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups total)
3 Firm Plum Tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 1 cup total)
1 Handful Parsley, roughly chopped
3 Tbs Tahini (sauce)
Fresh Black Pepper
Extra Lemon
Extra Salt

Toss cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley in a bowl. Add tahini and toss to coat - salad should not be soupy. Grind fresh pepper over the top. Season with an extra dash of salt or squeeze of lemon if desired.  Serve as a filling for falafel, or as a refreshing summer side salad.

21 comments March 29th, 2007


BlogHer Ad Network
More from BlogHer Advertise here BlogHer Privacy Policy

Knit Night Cupcakes

Knit Night Cupcakes - Yarn Balls If you're looking for the Knit Night Cupcakes that were featured on the Martha Stewart Show, the original post is here!

Email me at lolo AT veganyumyum DOT com

Fun Stuff


follow littleturkey at http://twitter.com
  • VeganYumYum Reader Flickr Pool
  • My Amazon.com Wish List
  • Calendar

    March 2007
    M T W T F S S
    « Feb   Apr »
     1234
    567891011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    262728293031  

    Posts by Month

    Posts by Category