Condiments, Sauces & Pastes

This cloudlike version of pumpkin pie uses tahini for extra nutty flavor.

My grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. I have updated it to include ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor,  but feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer. Gently poaching the meatballs is not only faster than roasting, but means none of their flavor is lost to a baking sheet.

A quick sear gives corn kernels caramelized edges and concentrated flavor. Here, they're cooked with crisp chickpeas, then tossed with za'atar and dressed with a mixture of ginger, jalapeños, miso, and tahini. 

Peanut butter, jelly, and buttery crackers in (no-churn!) ice cream pie form.

Brad Leone’s go-to charred, smashed, and miso-garlic-butter–tossed grilled potatoes.

You’ve heard of fully loaded baked potatoes, right? RIGHT? That’s what we’re doing with these grilled eggplants.

This barbecue chicken has the crackliest, stickiest skin.

Imagine a cross between butter pecan ice cream and salted caramel ice cream, except that the “salted” part comes from miso.

This is the summery chicken salad you could eat plate after plate of without feeling like you’ve downed a jar of mayonnaise—because you didn't!

This recipe gives off major chicken-soup vibes but is entirely vegetarian—and you don’t have to simmer vegetables or cheese rinds for hours to get there. The lightning-fast broth gets its flavor from caramelized miso and nutritional yeast (a trick we picked up from Bay Area cookbook author and food writer Andrea Nguyen). The gluten-free dumplings are soft on the outside and pleasantly chewy on the inside. 

Spicy, funky, and sweet!

Hot-and-sour soup inspired this highly nontraditional springtime version. Miso gives just enough body so that you won't need cornstarch to thicken it, and you can use silken tofu or thinly sliced yuba instead of egg for that same silky effect.

It's worth it to seek out the good stuff.

We took millionaire bars—shortbread plus caramel plus chocolate—and gave them an upgrade (hence, billions) with sesame seeds and tahini. The shortbread is tender, the filling is gooey, and the chocolate ties it all together.

We took loose inspiration from Hainanese chicken rice to create this weeknight-friendly dish.

This sweet-and-sour glaze is good on fish, chicken, ribs—you name it. 

Rice Krispies Treats meet sesame halva in these savory-sweet six-ingredient bars (salt doesn’t count!).

Whether you prefer the buttery richness of classic party mix, or you’re on the sugarcoated puppy chow team, this recipe has you covered. 

Swapping tahini for the mayonnaise that you typically see in classic Caesar salads keeps things creamy but adds nutty earthiness to the tangy mustard and funk from Parmesan cheese.

Steamed broccolini dressed with a salty-sweet sesame sauce is a bright, palate-cleansing side dish.

The thing that makes this satisfying, spicy-tangy salad so great? It’s equally as delicious served warm for dinner as it is eaten cold for lunch the next day.

This creamy, spicy-sweet dip pairs with leftover rotisserie chicken, jammy eggs, cucumber spears, and roasted sweet potatoes for the perfect desk-friendly lunch.

Miso and 100% whole wheat flour add salty-nutty complexity to this super tender crumb cake.

An irresistibly creamy hummus with a spiced pistachio dukkah on top.