The 3-Ingredient Sauce That’s Good on Everything
I’m a sauce gal. I love a good drizzle. A good sauce can take anything from rice bowls to hearty salads and just plain leftovers to new heights. I have dabbled in many different kinds of sauces from complex sauces cooked on the stovetop to the wide array of premade sauces available in a bottle or jar. One of my absolute all-time favorites, though, is a simple three-ingredient, stir-together treat that I make constantly: tahini-soy sauce.
What Makes Tahini-Soy Sauce So Great
My go-to sauce consists of only tahini, soy sauce, and water, and it works on everything. The bitterness of the tahini is offset by the saltiness and umami of the soy sauce. The water is there to both adjust the consistency and dilute the strong flavors so they’re a bit more subtle. I’ve added just enough of it to make it thin enough to use as a dressing on salads and also left it creamy enough to drizzle on a grain bowl.
It works as a topping for pan-seared steak or roasted salmon, and even works as a dip for fries or chicken nuggets. The simple flavor of the sauce blends seamlessly with whatever you add it to, making just about anything taste more savory and deep instead of changing it entirely. It’s the sauce I make most often because it always improves whatever I’m adding it to, it uses ingredients I always have on hand, and it takes about two minutes from start to finish. It’s the perfect back-pocket sauce when your food just needs a little something.
Tips for Making Tahini-Soy Sauce
How much sauce you want or need will depend on what you’re using it for. When making sauce for my afternoon lunch bowl, I like to start with 1 tablespoon of tahini, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of water. This will give you about 2 tablespoons of sauce that’s a good consistency for drizzling — not too thick, not too thin. This ratio is easy to multiply if you’re preparing it for more than one person.
Use a whisk. Tahini can be thick and tricky to incorporate. A whisk is the best tool for getting a smooth sauce quickly.
Let the sauce rest. Tahini will absorb moisture as it sits, so once you’ve whisked the sauce smooth, just let it sit for about a minute before judging the consistency and flavor. You may need to add a bit more water than you think.
Adjust flavors last. Get the sauce smooth and to your desired consistency before incorporating any add-ins (see below) or adjusting for flavor. Tahini and soy sauce both have powerful flavors. Starting with these small amounts allows you to either dilute the flavor with extra water if you think it’s too strong or build on it with additional soy or tahini for more oomph.
Make It Your Way
The simplicity of this sauce is borderline magic in my opinion, but the other great thing about this sauce is that it is very riffable. The flavors lend themselves very well to being built upon, so feel free to customize to your specific tastes and really make it your own. Some of my favorite additions are:
A clove of grated garlic
Grated fresh ginger
A little hot sauce
A squirt of mayo (to make the sauce extra creamy)
A pinch of ground sumac
Chopped fresh herbs
This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: My 3-Ingredient Secret Sauce Is So Good, I’ve Made It Every Week for 10 Years (I Spoon It Over Everything!)
Further Reading
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