We use the grill a lot in the summer. Anything to keep the inside of my house cool! Not that I’m complaining. I love the smoky char the grill gives to all kinds of food, especially veggies! I’m a massive veggie eater and there is nothing like a big platter of fresh summer produce, kissed by the grill, but still maintaining its crispness. Sometimes I like to make a meal out of only that, with a tasty sauce, of course!
A simple tahini sauce is fresh and nutty. It enhances the vegetables with out completely overwhelming them.
Here’s what you need to make the sauce:
Be choosy when it comes to choosing your tahini.
When it comes to tahini, there is a massive difference between good tahini and not so good tahini. For example, have you ever eaten a hummus that was kind of bitter or chalky? That was the tahini’s fault. And it makes all the difference in this sauce because it is the main ingredient.
My two all time favorite tahini brands are Baron’s and Soom. Both are delicious. Nutty and rich, all you could ever want from tahini. Both can be found on Amazon and I have also found Soom at Whole Foods.
Make the sauce.
Simply add the ingredients to a bowl and give it a whisk. It will appear grainy at first, which is fine, but will smooth out as you continue to whisk. If the sauce is too thick, add small amounts more of water at a time until it is the right consistency.
Choose a variety of veggies.
I can’t think of any vegetable that wouldn’t be delicious covered in tahini sauce! Obviously you want to go for produce that is sturdy, that won’t completely disintegrate in the high heat of the grill. Today, I went for all green: zucchini, asparagus and broccolini, but you could also use, bell peppers, carrots (that have been sliced vertically,) tomatoes, cauliflower, etc…
Just be sure that whatever veggies you use, they are sliced large enough that they won’t fall through the grill grates.
Grill the vegetables.
Toss them with olive oil and sea salt. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. You want the grill to be hot enough that it produces grill marks so you get that nice smoky char flavor quickly, before the vegetables overcook.
Clean and oil the grill before adding the vegetables. Make sure they are not crowded so they brown properly. Close the grill and give them about 3 minutes.
Use tongs to flip them, then close and cook for another 2 or so minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the grill then drizzle with the tahini sauce.
I love to enjoy this as a side to accompany grilled meats, but I also love enjoying these grilled veggies and tahini as a meal on its own! Try it salad style by loading a bowl up with veggies. Add some fresh greens if you want. Drizzle with lots of tahini sauce and add garnishes like sliced almonds, cilantro, feta and a big hunk of crusty toasted bread!
Other recipes to try:
Grilled Summer Vegetables with Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh vegetables such as zucchini, squash, broccolini, asparagus, etc,… trimmed and sliced as needed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
For the tahini sauce:
- 2 tbsp good tahini I recommend Baron's or Soom brands
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Grill the veggies.
- Turn a clean and oiled grill to medium high heat. It needs to be hot enough to char the veggies on the outside before the insides are totally cooked through. Toss the prepped veggies in the olive oil and salt until well coated.Place the vegetables on the hot grill. Close the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side so they are tender but still crisp.Drizzle the hot veggies with tahini sauce.
Make the tahini sauce.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients. It will appear grainy at first but will become velvety smooth as you continue stirring.