Add a savoury crunch to a simple green salad with this super easy toasted tamari seeds salad topping mix. Quick & easy to whip up, gluten free and vegan, this tasty seed mix can also double as the perfect healthy snack.
TOTAL TIME INVESTMENT: 6 MINUTES
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, particularly my meal plans, you will know that “a simple green salad” features regularly on our menu. Let pretend that this is due to the fact that our dinners are so delicious and complex that they require little more than a few green leaves for aesthetics rather than the truth, which is that by the time I have actually cooked dinner I am far too lazy tired to make anything elaborate to accompany it.
There are weeks that I am supremely organised, and have managed to prepare all of the elements of my side salad ahead. And to help you out I have put all my tips for prepping salads ahead in an easy tip sheet that you can download immediately from the Resource Library. Simply click the link below or request the password at the end of this post.
Mostly though, my ‘simple green salad’ is little more than a few washed leaves thrown into a bowl. If I’m feeling fancy, I will quickly whip up a batch of this toasted tamari seed mix to act as a crunchy salad topping.
This crunchy salad topping takes only minutes to whip up, and is so easy that I usually delegate the task of cooking it to The Princess. Whilst I normally sprinkle it over salads, I may have been known to eat handfuls as a snack on those occasions I crave a savoury hit.
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Ingredient Substitutions for this Crunchy Salad Topping
With only a few ingredients, there is little wriggle room for substitutions in this tamari salad seeds recipe. Don’t ever let that stop you playing with a recipe to suit your preferences though.
- Switch up the seeds you use in the mix: Replace the sesame seeds with chia seeds or hemp seeds instead if you are battling family allergies. Or black sesame seeds in place of the white seeds if allergies are not an issue.
- Change up the quantities in the seed mix: The ratio of seeds is not important in this salad topping, so if you don’t like or have any of the seed varieties, use more of another. You can use all pumpkin seeds, or all sunflower seeds, and still make a delicious salad sprinkles recipe.
- Tamari is the Japanese version of soy sauce, and is slightly thicker, richer in flavour and darker than its Chinese counterpart. If you don’t have tamari, substitute traditional soy sauce, although tamari will give the seeds a richer flavour. To ensure your salad topping is gluten free, make sure the tamari you use is also gluten free.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Tamari Salad Sprinkles
Pretty much any seed can be used to create a crunchy salad topping . For texture, it is better to use a mix of larger seeds, such as pumpkin (pepita) or sunflower seeds, and small seeds like sesame, hemp and chia. The only seed I would not use in a salad topping would be flax seed.
Chia seeds make a great addition to salads. You can either sprinkle them over the top of your green leaves or mix them with other seed varieties to create your own salad seed mix
Soy sauce can be used in place of tamari. Tamari is deeper and richer than soy sauce, but both sauces will provide a salty hit to your salad topping.
A good salad has a balance of soft and crunchy, and sweet and salty. crunchy toppings are the best way to add a crunchy hit to your salad. If you don’t want to use a seed mix, why not try other crunchy elements such as croutons or roasted chickpeas. You can check out how roasted chickpeas work in a salad in my Moroccan carrot salad bowl.
Tamari Seed Mix: A Few Final Tips
One of my favourite things about this tamari seed mix recipe is that it can be quickly toasted on the stove, and I don’t have to worry about heating the oven. Which is obviously perfect at the height of summer when you don’t want to heat up the house.
And a few final thoughts for you:
- This recipe is so easy that it is a great one to start the kids on in the kitchen. The seeds do need to be frequently stirred to prevent them burning, which is perfect for those kids that just want to ‘help’.
- The seeds can burn in a flash, so keep half an eye on them. Frequent stirring should prevent the seeds catching on the pan.
- Store the salad topping in an airtight container or glass jar. The salt in the tamari attracts moisture, and the seeds will become sticky if left exposed to air for long periods.
- I store my seed mix in the airtight container in the fridge, although the coated seeds are perfectly fine in the pantry if used within a few weeks.
- The seeds will last for months in the fridge, but are best consumed within two weeks of making them.
- The seed mix can be frozen if preferred.
More Quick Salad Ideas
Using your own salad topping recipe is the fastest way to joosh up a salad and make it seem a little fancier than what it actually is. But if you are looking for other speedy salad ideas, why not try:
- Tomato & White Bean Salad
- Vegetable Couscous Salad
- Roasted Beetroot Salad with Goats Cheese & Walnuts.
Enjoy!
Made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below.
And if you loved it, please don’t forget to rate it.
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Toasted Tamari Seeds Salad Topping Mix
Ingredients
- 30 g (1/4 cup) pumpkin seeds
- 30 g (1/4 cup) sunflower seeds
- 40 g (1/4 cup) sesame seeds
- 20 – 40 ml (1 – 2 Tablespoons) Tamari
Instructions
- Place the pumpkins seeds in the base of a medium fry pan.
- Tip the sunflower seeds on top.
- Finally, add the sesame seeds.
- Warm the fry pan over a gentle heat.
- Once the fry pan has warmed, stir the seeds.
- Allow the seeds to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. The seeds will begin to pop and puff up as they cook, which is perfectly normal.
- When the seeds are a golden brown, add the tamari to the pan.
- Continue to stir until the seeds are dry. Be careful at this stage as the sesame seeds can catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Tip the seeds onto a plate or tray and allow to cool. When cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- The seeds can burn in a flash. Frequent stirring should prevent the seeds catching on the pan.
- Store the salad topping in an airtight container or glass jar. The seeds will become sticky if left exposed to air for long periods.
- Store the seed mix in the fridge, although the coated seeds are perfectly fine in the pantry if used within a few weeks.
- The seeds will last for months in the fridge, but are best consumed within two weeks of making them.
- The seed mix can be frozen if preferred.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on 1st July 2016. It was substantially updated on 26th March 2019 to include ingredient substitutions, FAQ’s, nutritional information and to improve the readability of the text.
I love this idea. I have the tamari but as I made museli today I’ve run out of seeds. An easy thing to remedy and then I shall definitely do this – thanks for the idea.
Thanks. There is usually a bit of a mutiny in our house if there aren’t any seeds in the fridge : ) Thanks for visiting.
There is some information missing between 5 and 6 in your instructions. I think this is crucial so please correct and post again.
FYI. The first time I made this recipe, I followed your steps as best I could understand them; putting the Pumpkin seeds in the pan first, sunflower seeds on top and sesame seeds last. Because of the disparity of seed size, the pumpkin seeds came out raw and the sesame seeds came out slightly burnt and bitter. The next time I made this recipe, I toasted the pumpkin seeds till done before adding the sunflower seeds and after stirring both around for a bit, finally added the sesame seeds at the last minute. All the seeds were toasted to perfection this way before I added the tamari. This is now my most favorite snack and salad topping of all time. Thanks! Love your blog!!
Thanks for the catch Lolli. I have updated the recipe.
I have never had an issue making these seeds as described in the recipe. Unfortunately everybody’s equipment is different so what works for me may sometimes not work as well for others, which I guess you experienced. I am glad you found a way to make it work for you. Thank you for sharing it here. I’m glad you like it 🙂
Omg this recipe tastes like my childhood snack! when I was growing up, you used to be able to get something like this in the supermarket, and my mum would butter a piece of fresh bread that came out of the bread maker that day and butter it for me, topping it with a seed mix very VERY similar to this or making a sandwich for school with it on. Then one day it was super hard to find, and not long after that it disappeared completely. I’m so glad I found this recipe cause I’ve been wanting to eat this for quite some time. thank you, thank you THANK YOU! Highly Recommend!
Pleasure Ashleigh! There is something special about those old favourites isn’t there? Glad you enjoyed the seeds.
This recipe sounds fantastic! I love the idea of using tamari seeds for a crunchy salad topping. Can’t wait to try it out and elevate my salads! Thank you for sharing!
I never thought about adding tamari seeds to my salads! This recipe sounds delicious and easy to make. Can’t wait to try it for some extra crunch and flavor. Thanks for sharing!
Pleasure
I can’t wait to try this tamari seeds topping! It sounds like a perfect way to add some crunch to my salads. Thanks for sharing such a simple and delicious recipe!
I hope you enjoy it Amelia