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 (liquids and solids both– not just the “oil”. )
- 1/4 –1/3 cup warm tap water, more to desired consistency.
- 1 –2 tablespoons lemon juice ( more to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely minced – use a garlic press)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Optional additions ( To spice things up a bit! Don’t use all, just one or two! )
- 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
- a teaspoon or two of zaatar spice
- fresh chopped chives, Italian parsley, mint or basil
- a few tablespoons of plain yogurt, for extra creamy richness. This is tasty!
Instructions
Note: If your tahini paste has separated try to mix it in the jar with a fork before measuring. If it’s very cold, bring to room temp, so you can use both the solids and the oil.
Place tahini paste and warm water in a 2-cup mason jar or medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Once you start whisking, it will actually thicken, so feel free to thin it out with more water if using as a dressing.
Add the remaining ingredients to the jar – lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and whisk until creamy and smooth. It will thicken as it cools in the fridge.
Taste and adjust salt and lemon to your liking.
Feel free to add any of the optional additions, to make this your own!
For example, I like adding aleppo chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley and a pinch of zaatar to bump up the flavor. My mom used to add a little yogurt, for both tanginess and creaminess- so good! Up to you!
Notes
Consistancey: start with ¼ cup warm water, and add more to desired consistency. For a tahini “dressing” add more water or a couple of tablespoons olive oil. Or feel free to keep it thick like a spread. Also, keep in mind, different brands of tahini paste are thicker than others.
You want the Everyday 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! 🙂
I prefer mine a little spicy and tangy, so I’ll add more lemon, aleppo chili flakes and either zhoug or zaatar…..but totally up to you. Make this your own! Have fun with it. Leave your adaptions below!
This will keep for up to 7 days in the fridge.
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
