Tahini Zucchini Noodles

Light zucchini noodles are coated in creamy vegan tahini sauce & tossed with kale, baked tofu & crunchy pine nuts. A healthy, gluten-free weeknight dinner.

Let’s just call this a seasonal transitional dish. It’s like wearing shorts with a chunky sweater because you’re not quite sure if you are warm or cold, and most days you’re a little bit of both. This tahini sauce is rich and creamy… while the cold zucchini noodles are on the lighter side.

I got the idea from this pin that caught my eye… which led me to the blog Earthsprout, a beautiful raw food blog with some amazing recipes.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure Jack was going to be into this one. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a finicky eater, and he loves the food I cook… I just thought maybe I had gone over the top this time. This is a lot of veggies for one bowl, after all (there’s kale in here too)… but he really loved it.

If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer or a julienne peeler (or zucchinis for that matter), feel free to sub in rice noodles or whatever kind of pasta you like.

I had a bit of leftover sauce which was especially delicious on the avocado sandwiches that I ate for lunch the rest of the week.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Tahini Zucchini Noodles

 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cups kale, chopped
  • 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized or julienned*
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Lemon, for squeezing
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
  • 1 cup cubed tofu (optional)
For the tahini sauce: (this makes extra)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 tablespoons tahini
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ garlic clove, minced
  • 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
  • 3 teaspoons soy sauce or gluten free tamari
  • ½ teaspoon dried turmeric
  • ¼ – ½ cup water, start with less, gradually add more
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
For garnish:
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • Pinches red chili flakes
  • ¼ cup micro arugula sprouts (optional)
Instructions
  1. If using the tofu, preheat the oven to 400. Spread the tofu on a lined baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and fresh black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the kale, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Cook for a few minutes, until the kale is wilted. Set aside.
  3. Make the sauce: In a blender, combine the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, soy sauce, turmeric, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, stirring in water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, keeping in mind that (especially if you’re using zucchini noodles) the flavors will dilute. I found the best way to taste accurately was to dip a few noodles in the sauce.
  4. Toss the zucchini, kale, and baked tofu with the sauce, using more or less depending on how well-coated you like your veggies. Top with the basil, pine nuts, chili flakes, and microgreens, if using. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
*You could also use any kind of noodles you wish: rice noodles, regular pasta, etc. I served this at room temperature because the zucchini noodles are best raw. You could just as easily serve this warm if you use rice or pasta noodles.

adapted from this recipe by Earthsprout

 

41 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. David
    11.30.2023

    This was excellent. I don’t use nutritional yeast(although I like it) so that was left out. I know I don’t like any sweetners in my tahini sauces so thatwas left out as well. Very, very nice flavor combination in this sauce. Everyone has their own taste however I’m wondering if those who didn’t like it aren’t experienced cooks. Even if I used nutritional yeast I would have started out with half the amount and added more if I thought it was needed. This does not have some kind of weird taste or texture. My sauce came out velvety smooth

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.01.2023

      Hi David, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  2. ATLLiz
    12.17.2019

    Any suggestions for substitution for the nutritional yeast? Or just leave it out? I have the other ingredients and would love to make this tonight!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.17.2019

      you could leave it out!

  3. Nola
    04.09.2017

    Hi, I don’t think this is a good recipe. I tried it and there was an over balance of nutritional yeast. I just feel a bit duped because I spent so much time making it. I ended up making a white wine vinaigrette with vegan cheese shredded over the noodles.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.10.2017

      I’m really sorry you didn’t enjoy this one.

  4. Kate
    08.05.2015

    This recipe was gorgeous, thank you! I made it the other night with almost no modifications except the addition of roasted mushrooms, which I roasted with the tofu to add more texture (just chopped and dry, no oil added). Plus lots of red pepper flakes on top. Thanks for sharing this.

    Took a shot of it here: https://instagram.com/p/5xT4E1DaaK/?taken-by=dearmisskate

  5. Sarah
    07.28.2015

    I made this salad and then used the dressing on several Buddha bowls. Simply amazing!

    • jeanine
      08.01.2015

      thanks Sarah! I’m glad you liked it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.