Sesame is one of the single most important gifts of Mother Nature. Not only sesame seeds are considered to be extremely nutritious, they can also be enjoyed in a variety of different ways.
The paste made of ground seeds, which is widely known as tahini across geographic areas such as the Middle East, the Balkans, and the South Caucasus, is a great example. Due to its high nutritional value, as well as its ability to protect the heart and to fight inflammation, tahini is often described as the next big superfood.
Aside from tahini, halva, hummus, and a variety of pies and salads are some common sesame-based recipes that you might have stumbled upon. Well, what if we told you that sesame can also be made into soup?
Tahini soup: A dish found in unusual places
Because of its high nutritional value, as well as the rich taste of tahini, this dish is very popular in monasteries all across Greece’s territories, where it takes the lead during the many fasting periods observed by the Orthodox Church.
Here is a tahini soup recipe in its most traditional version there is, which is none other but the one of the monastic community of Mount Athos.
Wait, is tahini soup a thing?
Print RecipeIngredients
- 7.1 oz (200 gr) tahini (sesame paste)
- 3.5 oz (100 gr) white medium grain rice (rice pudding)
- juice of ½ lemon
- ½ leek
- 2 fl oz (50 ml) olive oil
- 0.2 oz (5 gr) salt
- 0.1 oz (3 gr) ground pepper
- 1,5 lt water
- 0.1 oz (2 gr) chili flakes
Instructions
- Cut the leeks into slices.
- Sauté in a pot with the oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the water and wait until it gets hot.
- Mix the tahini and lemon juice in a bowl, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot broth from the pot and stir until it becomes smooth.
- Cook the rice and drain it.
- Add the tahini, rice, salt and pepper to the pot and continue to stir.
- Serve in a bowl and sprinkle chili flakes on top.
Serving tip: Serve with toasted bread of your preference. Monks’ bread, for instance, would be a great idea that complements the traditional vibe that tahini soup evokes!
