Description
How to make the best Tahini Sauce– a Middle Eastern sauce that is rich, creamy, smooth, tangy and flavorful- used to drizzle over salads, buddha bowls and falafels made with sesame paste, garlic and lemon juice. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini paste ( stirred)
- 1/4 –1/3 water, more to desired consistency.
- 1 –2 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil (optional, feel free to leave it out if you prefer oil-free)
- 2 fresh garlic cloves (finely minced – grate it or use a garlic press)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Note: If your tahini paste has separated, stir it in the jar with a fork before measuring. If it’s very cold, bring it to room temp to make stirring easier.
- Place tahini paste and water in a 2-cup mason jar or medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Once you start whisking, it may actually stiffen up- you can always thin it out with more water at the end if using as a dressing.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the jar – lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon to your liking.
- Feel free to add any of the optional additions, see notes.
- Store in the fridge for 5-7 days- it will thicken up slightly.
Notes
Consistency: Start with ¼ cup water and add more to desired consistency. For a tahini “dressing,” add more water or a couple of tablespoons olive oil. Feel free to keep it thick like a dip or spread. Also, keep in mind that different brands of tahini paste are thicker than others.
Salt. You want the Tahini Sauce to be flavorful and slightly on the salty side. If there is not enough salt, it may taste “anemic” or bland. Remember it’s a flavor-boosting condiment! 🙂
Optional additions: chili flakes or chili paste (like sambal olek or sriracha) for a spicy kick, a dash of soy sauce or liquid aminos, for more depth, a dash of toasted sesame oil ( for extra sesame flavor), a teaspoon or two of zhoug for a burst of flavor, zaatar spice, cumin, coriander, sumac, or fresh chopped chives, Italian parsley, mint or basil, a few tablespoons of plain yogurt, for extra creamy richness.
I prefer mine a little spicy and tangy, so I’ll add more lemon, aleppo chili flakes and either zhoug or zaatar. 🙂
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 89
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 157.1 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.8 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
