I’ve owed you this sunflower seed tahini for a year and a half. Specifically since the recipe for tofu crusted with lemon tahini.
From that recipe onward, I had promised myself to also write the recipe for this unusual version of tahini separately, because it’s always useful for a sauce, especially one like this, to have its own recipe, as it can be used on various occasions and as an ingredient in other recipes.
But, as is the fate of many recipes in my archive, it had remained there in limbo. Mainly because I had promised myself to retake the photos, because these didn’t really ‘thrill’ me much. But then they stayed in limbo.

It took the Team. 😀 To resurrect this recipe… it took the great, unique, and inimitable Team Light and Tasty!
Which lately is becoming the savior of this blog, as it prompts me to write recipes. And often it prompts me to cook them too!, as happened with the potato curry from last week. 😊

I must admit that the somewhat complicated family situation I find myself in now, well yes, sometimes doesn’t spark a great desire to cook, and the time I have to write recipes is very limited. But it is very true that this weekly meeting with Light and Tasty helps me a lot to find motivation, not to tell myself “I’ll think about it tomorrow,” which I instinctively say to myself quite often. And so… Since today’s ingredient is “seeds,” what better occasion could I have to give this sunflower seed tahini the place it deserves in my recipe book?
I took it out of the archive, and ignoring all the other things I had to do, tic tic tic I sat at the computer to write! (then for new photos that ‘thrill’ me more… I’ll think about it, one day or another! 💪).

So… tell me: how many of you have already tried making sunflower seed tahini? Ahhh, great!!!
And those who perhaps don’t remember the recipe? Come on, you just have to read this recipe!!

👇 Below I leave you the link for sesame tahini, plus a couple of other articles with various ideas for your sauces: 😉👇

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Cooking methods: No Cooking
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Seasonality: All Seasons

65.75 Kcal

calories per serving

Info Close

Energy 65.75 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 1.81 (g) of which sugars 0.20 (g)
Proteins 1.45 (g)
Fat 6.24 (g) of which saturated 0.65 (g)of which unsaturated 5.31 (g)
Fibers 0.83 (g)
Sodium 0.23 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 10 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

5.3 oz sunflower seeds
2/3 cup sunflower oil (or corn or sesame oil)

Tools

Food Processor

Preparation

The process is the same as traditional sesame tahini: the seeds simply need to be blended (with the oil) until creamy.
As you know, the tahini recipe already on the blog is the version made with sesame seeds soaked in water – a version I was taught at a vegetarian and vegan cooking class I attended – while typically classic tahini is made with toasted sesame seeds.
The same applies to this sunflower seed version: actually, it can be produced in three different ways, as I already mentioned in the crusted tofu recipe: besides toasted seeds and soaked seeds, you can use sunflower seeds as they are, naturally, with no procedure: just take them from the bag, weigh them, put them in the blender, slowly pour in the oil, and blend. Voilà. 😉
Using the blender leaves the sauce grainy (although this depends greatly on the blender or food processor used). Optionally, to achieve a ‘smooth’ sauce, you can crush everything with a mortar, using just a little more patience.
Toasted seed version: toasting the seeds is very simple, just place them in a non-stick pan over low heat and move them around by tossing or using a spoon. They toast in just a few minutes.
Soaked seed version: soak the seeds in water for a few hours, then drain and dry them with kitchen paper or a cloth before blending.
Quick version: Use them naturally.
For use, sunflower seed tahini is equivalent to sesame tahini, both as a sauce, spread on crostini or bread, for canapés, appetizers, or snacks, and used as an ingredient in sweet and savory recipes: in shortcrusts, cookies, sweet porridges, or sauces like hummus and baba ghanoush.
The recipes in which I’ve used my sesame tahini and suggest trying with this sunflower seed version are:
– cannellini bean hummus
– eggplant cream,
– in addition to the already mentioned crusted tofu, where I also tried a mix of both seeds. 😉
If you don’t have sunflower seeds at home and don’t feel like going out to buy them, here are a couple of suggestions:
Organic Sunflower Seeds 1 kg
Organic Sunflower Seeds 6x300g

Salt-Free Tips

Salt-Free Using oil seeds to add flavor instead of salt is one of the strategies I usually recommend to those who need to replace salt, so… adding salt to this tahini would be counterproductive, right? 😃 What I feel I can suggest – perhaps, for those still transitioning to low-sodium cooking – is: prefer the use of toasted sunflower seeds, as toasting enhances their flavor; or enrich the sauce with lemon juice; or even make it spicy with a pinch of chili pepper.

Enjoy!

If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh food.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that retain flavors (grill, en papillote, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Sometimes make an exception to the rule. It boosts morale and helps to persevere.

If you don’t want or can’t give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes, seasoning according to your habits.