VeganYumYum » Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles

Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles

July 3rd, 2008 Stumble it!

It’s officially Summer; I can’t deny it any longer. I’m eating way more than my fair share of tofu sandwiches, and even the heat emanating from the toaster can be too much for me sometimes. If you can find some part of the day to boil noodles (in the cool of the morning, or before bed), you can make them ahead of time and be done with the only cooking required for this dish.

Earlier this year I was reading Coconut and Lime, and where Rachel had the brilliant idea of making a peanut sauce without peanuts. Her stand-in was sesame paste, and she created a fabulous sesame noodle dish that I couldn’t get out of my head. I absolutely had to make a sauce based on sesame paste. My recipe is different than hers (though hers is mighty tasty, so if you don’t care for my version give hers a try), but she was definitely the inspiration for this sauce that has quickly become a staple in my house.

Notes on Tahini and Sesame Paste
I use tahini in this recipe, which is a paste commonly used in the Middle East made from hulled sesame seeds. The seeds can be raw or roasted, and the flavor will vary depending on which one you choose. My favorite tahini is Arrowhead Mills Organic Sesame Tahini, which is unroasted. It’s not too bitter, and it stays smooth and easy to use even after refrigeration. Roasted tahini will also work great in this recipe, but the flavor will be noticeably different

Sesame paste, on the other hand, is an Asian ingredient that turns the whole sesame seed, including the hulls, into a paste. It’s stronger than tahini, so you usually need much less in your recipes, and using too much can cause the dish to be more bitter than you expected. While you can find tahini at any supermarket now (look near the peanut butter), Asian sesame paste still seems religated to specialty markets.

This dish is largely raw, which cuts down on a lot of the work, and prevents your summer kitchen from becoming a sauna. I’ve found that if you cut your veggies small enough and have a great sauce, you’ll be surprised at what you can serve raw. If you like, you can lightly steam the broccoli, but it really is tasty simply cut into tiny florets. If you follow a raw food diet, feel free to substitute the cooked wheat noodles with cucumber or zucchini noodles, or whatever raw noodles make you the happiest. Pretty much anything will work as the base of this dish.

The other benefit this dish is that it keeps really well, so I like to make a big batch to keep in the fridge for lunches, snacks, or meals to go.

Oh! And one more thing! Have you tried Whole Foods’ whole wheat spaghetti yet? It tastes exactly like regular spaghetti, only it’s better for you than the stripped down stuff. If you’re looking to add more whole grains into your diet, this is a super easy–even unnoticeable–way to do it. They are by far the best whole wheat noodles I’ve ever had.

Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles
Serves 4 to 6

1/2 lb Whole Wheat Spaghetti, cooked, rinsed in cold water, drained
2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 Green Cabbage Head, shredded
1 Stalk Broccoli, florets only, cut very small
A Handful Fresh Mint, chopped, optional (cilantro or basil would be good, too)
Sesame Seeds and More Mint, for garnish

Tahini Sauce
1/4 Cup Tahini, see section above
2 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari, or nama shoyu, or regular soy sauce
3 Tbs Water
1 Tbs Sugar, or raw agave nectar
1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Chili Sauce or 1 Chopped Fresh Chili
1 tsp Dijon or Stone-ground Mustard
1 Pinch Salt, if needed
Lots of Fresh Black Pepper

Cook the noodles and rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside, coating lightly with oil if desired to prevent the noodles from sticking. These can be made well in advance.

Cut your cabbage into quarters, then use a large chef’s knife to remove the core from one of the quarters, as shown at left. Discard the core, and wrap up the other three quarters for later use.

If you have a food processor, use it to shred your carrots and your cabbage. Use the shredder blade that has many holes for the carrots, and the blade that has one single slit for the cabbage. A box grater will work just fine for the carrots and a knife for the cabbage if a food processor is not available.

Chop the broccoli into small florets, creating pieces no bigger than small grapes. Toss all the veggies together and add the pasta. Stir together the sauce, tasting to adjust if needed.

When you’re ready to serve, add the sauce to the noodles and veggies and toss with your hands, coating everything evenly. Add chopped mint at the last moment, if using. Garnish with more mint and sesame seeds.

This will easily keep for a couple days. If you’re a big fan of sauce, you may want to double the recipe. This recipe makes just enough to coat the noodles. Extra sauce will really come in handy after the completed dish has been refrigerated for a bit; I find noodles really soak up sauces so it can be nice to have some extra on hand.

If you’ve tried tahini and disliked it, give it another chance. It’s kind of vile on its own, so balancing flavors is very important with this ingredient. If you want a little tahini flavor but can’t quite use the full 1/4 cup, consider adding some peanut butter in lieu of tahini. Personally, I find this a really refreshing change from the typical peanut sauces, and since it’s so easy to make, why not give it a shot?

Entry Filed under: herbs, pasta, raw, recipe, salad, sauce/dressing

47 Comments Add your own

1. meighan | July 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pm

was just trying to figure out food to bring to the cape. this is perfect!
2. VeggieGirl | July 3rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm

What a great dish!! Yum!! And yes, I HAVE tried Whole Foods’ whole-wheat spaghetti - I agree, it’s fabulous!!
3. Sophie | July 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Great idea! I’m intrigued by the idea of using the broccoli raw, though I guess you could stick it in with the spaghetti for its last minute of boiling if you wanted an easy way to take the edge of its crunch.

I always forget that tahini is bitter compared with peanut butter and scoff a spoonful of it when I get the jar out of the fridge. Have thus learnt the hard way that some brands are more bitter than others! It’s definitely worth shopping around to find one that you like.
4. Joanna | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm

I love sauces like this! I’ve never used mustard in my sesame noodle sauce though… will have to give it a try. (I tend to like mustard in everything so I’m sure it will be good!) Also thanks for the rec on Whole Foods whole wheat pasta — I keep trying different brands and I keep going back to regular refined pasta because I just can’t get used to the texture of whole wheat. Barilla Plus is the closest I’ve found but it’s not quite there. I’ll definitely look for the Whole Foods brand!

Also, I started a food blog! It’s kind of lame so far but… it’s a work in progress.
5. Maggie | July 3rd, 2008 at 6:30 pm

/delurk
Wow, that looks delicious!
Now I can’t wait for summer to roll around, and I HATE summer (i’m in Australia, so it’ll be a few months)
6. Caitlin | July 3rd, 2008 at 7:28 pm

I made a version of this tonight with red peppers, sugar snap peas and peanut butter instead of the tahini. Noodles are so good in the summer!
7. Stephanie | July 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Oh Lolo, you do take such beautiful photos. Someday you should do a food photo tutorial on here.
8. sue.agirlnamed | July 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 pm

This is totally awesome - I ended up using about half almond butter, because I ran out of tahini and didn’t have any PB lying around, and for veggies went with one Armenian cucumber, some mizuna, and pea tendrils, and one green onion. I love the mint! And the flavors! mmmmmmm. It was the perfect thing to whip up at home, quick and easy, and delicious. Keep up the excellent work! Also - I *think* you meant chili oil, not chili sauce. At least, I used chili oil… and it was awesome.
9. Katy | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:07 pm

What a perfect summer dish!
10. long weekend loves. &laqu&hellip | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 pm

[…] mandoline again and sprinkled the wrap with shredded raw zucchini. Tomorrow I plan on making the Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles by Lolo at VeganYumYum with Zucchini Noodles. I will be sure to post on how it turns out. Friday is […]
11. Jennifer | July 4th, 2008 at 4:44 am

Your photos are amazing! Thanks for the great recipe today and for the tip about Whole Foods pasta. I’m probably going to head up there today, so I’ll now be sure to pick some up!
12. ams | July 4th, 2008 at 5:08 am

what kind of mustard? yellow? dijon?

Dijon! I’ll edit the recipe right now.
13. meghan | July 4th, 2008 at 5:09 am

oooh, i can’t wait to make this sauce.
in texas it is definitely too hot to cook for the most part right now!
this definitely sounds like a good alternative.
14. Kristen's Raw | July 4th, 2008 at 7:40 am

Looks and sounds delicious!
15. Kelly | July 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am

The recipe looks great! And thanks for making it peanut free!!!
16. La Vida Vegan | July 4th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

You make this looks so simple and delicious I will definitely be putting this on my “to do” list this weekend.
17. Julie | July 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

YUM! What a perfect summer meal. I will definitely be making this soon-thanks for posting the recipe
18. Nikki | July 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

Oh wow - this is like a dream noodle salad - i will be making this. I love your photos and recipes. Brilliant!
19. cdecocina | July 5th, 2008 at 2:39 am

it seems really good…i have raw tahini, so i´ll try with this. Thanks a lot.
20. Lindsay | July 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

another great recipe! thanks for sharing!!
21. rachel | July 5th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

Thanks for the mention! This version looks awesome. I might just have to make this this weekend!
22. Lee Cockrum | July 5th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

Hi, this looks great, but I did have a question, did you use chili oil, or chili sauce? And if you used chili sauce, what kind do you use? The only chili sauce I know of is I think heinz, which I think needs to be used up fairly quickly when opened.

Thanks!!

I use Chili Sauce, specifically Sriracha. Chili oil would probably be fine, though!
23. The Voracious Vegan | July 6th, 2008 at 11:36 pm

I love tahini, this recipe looks great. The pictures are just as beautiful as always, thanks for sharing!
24. chow vegan | July 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm

Looks delicious! Whole Foods whole wheat spaghetti is great, Trader Joe’s also has a version that is very similar.
25. Bianca-Vegan Crunk | July 7th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

Mmmmm….I made a similar sauce tonight for dipping my dinnertime crudite in tomorrow. I bet it’d be great on some noodles too!
26. ClaireDille | July 7th, 2008 at 11:51 pm

I made this today and let it chill in the fridge for after my workout. It was definitely yummy after a nice hard run! I think I may add a little more sauce next time since I will be eating it for leftovers a lot. Thanks so much for a yummy new idea for tahini use.
27. a full plate and circle s&hellip | July 8th, 2008 at 6:25 am

[…] and carrots. Dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette, I ate this with my new lunchtime staple, the nearly raw tahini. Cooking for one, with an incredibly petite refrigerator filled with a roommates processed foods is […]
28. Wheeler's Frozen Desserts | July 8th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

That dish looks amazing! Beautiful picture too!
29. jessy | July 9th, 2008 at 8:10 am

this looks so delightful, fresh, and beautiful! i want to eat it all up! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
30. kimmykokonut | July 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

This looks beautiful! I’m making it tonight for dinner and will post a picture and link on my blog. Instead of cabbage, I added scallions, snap peas and sauteed zucchini. I didn’t have rice vinegar so used equal parts white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. It came out a little tangy, not sure how mellow the rice vinegar will make it. Thanks for sharing the recipe! It was easy and very little dishes to clean up!
31. Eyesaswindows | July 10th, 2008 at 4:06 pm

This sauce looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it Yum I love peanut sauce. I might spice it up though with some ginger… watch out
32. walterknitty | July 10th, 2008 at 7:41 pm

I like this recipe and enjoy your blog quite a bit. I must admit this was my inspiration for dinner tonight but used soba noodles, zucchini, green beans, edamane, topped off with a curry peanut sauce, some cucumber and scallions. It is not 90 today in Oregon so was able to saute the veggies. I dont know how you feel about requests and I dont know if you have arleady posted this somewhere, but I’d like to see your interpretation of a curry peanut sauce.
33. Erin | July 11th, 2008 at 8:02 am

This sounds really delicious, and your pictures are gorgeous! I like the possibilites of variations on this dish, especially all raw.
34. Spaghetti con verduras y &hellip | July 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm

[…] receta es una adaptación de Vegan yum yum, la verdad es que la salsa sale buenísima y se podría hacer con muchas otras combinaciones. […]
35. Jackie V | July 16th, 2008 at 5:48 pm

I made this dish from your blog yesterday, and we loved it! Very light and delicious.
36. Jackie V | July 16th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

I forgot to say I used soba noodles and they were wonderful!
37. Amanda Lyle | July 17th, 2008 at 10:04 am

I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious! I doubled the sauce because I knew there was going to be lots of leftovers, so I ended up adding in more veggies in the end. I was so excited about it that I had to try a little this morning when I was scooping out my lunch portion to take to work with me. I can’t wait to make this again and try some other veggies like scallions, cucumber, purple cabbage and snap beans. Thanks!
38. KimmyKokonut » Blog&hellip | July 17th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

[…] Last year, the Seitan O’Greatness was on a lot of food blogs and I too tried the recipe and found it easy to make and bake. This seitan is like a log of pepperoni, spicy, meaty and dry. I’ve also tried the Italian sausage from the Artful Vegan and liked that flavor combination a lot, although if I were to do it again, I would wrap it in foil and steam it, not simmer it in cheesecloth. Real Food Daily has an interesting seitin recipe that uses pureed beans in the mixture and it’s baked in a loaf pan. It tastes like pureed chicken and stuffing. It was much softer than the other seitans and not sliceable, but really tasty. I will have to make these recipes again and update with pictures. Added to Tahini Noodles […]
39. Vegetable Waffle | July 25th, 2008 at 11:24 am

I made this dish (tamari/ agave/ chili sauce/ basil version) for dinner last night, along with your delish tomato-basil sandwiches, and everyone loved it. The only thing I would change is the basil … I think cilantro might go better.
40. Megaveg | August 4th, 2008 at 7:42 pm

I just put this sauce on some leftover beets that I had roasted with a little maple syrup. *Awesome*
41. LJ Haynes | August 13th, 2008 at 11:01 pm

Another winner with me and my omnivore hubby. My regret was that I didn’t double the sauce, make that the whole dish. The two of us polished it off in one night. *Just lovely!*
42. Food I Ate « vegan &hellip | August 15th, 2008 at 10:27 pm

[…] Raw Tahini Noodles (recipe from VeganYumYum) - The perfect meal for those hot evenings when you can barely move your butt from one room to the […]
43. Tara | August 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Tried this last weekend. It was great!!! I added diced red pepper for some extra color and took your suggestion to make extra sauce. Just had the leftovers today for lunch and the extra sauce was perfect. You’re right, the noodles soak up a good portion of it if they sit for a few days. I also used whole wheat fettucini instead of spaghetti. I’ll definitely make this one again. It was so easy and a perfect dish to bring to the beach for lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
44. Liz | August 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

I have this recipe multiple times a week b/c it makes so much dressing. One day I cut up all the veggies and make the sauce … add some brown rice both days (boil in a bag) and WOW!
45. Monte Slick | August 21st, 2008 at 12:37 am

I really want to try this dish over the weekend. I have all the ingredients in my kitchen now. It looks easy. I’ve only been a vegan for about a month now, and my recipes were getting routine. I think this would be a kick start for me to venture out.
46. monique | September 5th, 2008 at 10:37 am

I made this last night and boy was it delicious!
I’m just learning how to cook and was put at ease that I had everything for the sauce already and just needed to get the pasta & veggies.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I look forward to trying out more from here
47. jane | September 9th, 2008 at 2:18 am

Just thought I’d share with you, there is an Asian custom/superstition that you should never stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice or noodles. I don’t know the reason behind it though!