By Barbie Goldstein
How to make your own Israeli vegan milkshake.
If you consider yourself a foodie, then you’ve heard of the notorious Michael ‘Mike” Solomonov and his restaurant– Zahav– in Philadelphia. Mike is an Israeli-Jewish chef who has modernized and elevated Israeli-inspired recipes; turning them into high high-end, extraordinary experiences. One of Mike’s best recipes happens to also be one of the easiest to recreate in your own kitchen; a simple (vegan) milkshake you can make at home, no experience necessary.
I stumbled upon this recipe in one of Solomov’s cookbooks, titled the Israeli Soul. As a dairy-free Jew in search of new and unique recipes, this recipe for a tahini (tahina) milkshake was a must-try. Tahini– the Israeli component of the recipe– is a pure ground sesame paste that has been around for thousands of years with its origins being traced to places such as India and Ethiopia. It’s an extremely popular item in the Middle East, and Israel is no exception.
Naturally, I tried this recipe as soon as I got my hands on the ingredients. After a few tries, I finally whipped up the perfect milkshake. The flavors of the tahini mixed with chocolate and minty flavors were refreshing, filling, and new. With this new recipe, I shared it with my friends and synagogue and it’s been a massive hit! I strongly recommend topping it with the whipped cream of your choice and fresh mint leaves!
Chocolate Mint Tahini Milkshake (modified recipe from Mike Solomonov’s Israeli Soul)
Ingredients:
Milkshake
½ cup tahini
½ cup sugar
Small pinch of salt
3 cups milk of your choice (I use almond milk)
¾ cup mint syrup (recipe below)
½ cup cocoa powder (more/less as needed)
Mint Syrup
½ + 6 tablespoons sugar
Small pinch of salt
A little over 1 cup water
Around ¼ cup fresh mint
½ teaspoon mint extract (feel free to add more or less depending on your preference)
2 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
For the Syrup:
Heat a saucepan and combine the sugar, salt, water, and most of the mint
Bring this mixture to a boil, then remove from burner and let it steep until it’s room temperature
Add the rest of the mint (save some for toppings), mint extract, and lemon juice
Keep the syrup refrigerated in a closed container. This mint syrup should last you for a lot of milkshakes!
For the Milkshake:
In a blender, combine the tahini, sugar, salt, and milk, and cocoa powder until smooth.
Pour mixtre into an ice cube tray and freeze it overnight. If you don’t want to wait, keep the mixture in the blender and add ice to thicken the texture.
Pour in a little more almond milk to get the blender started if you froze it overnight.
Add the syrup, as much or as little as you want!
Serve immediately with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!