Tahini Sauce

 

Whip up this quick lemon tahini sauce with just two ingredients! It’s an ideal match for grilled veggies, chicken, seafood, or greens. You can even dilute it to create a zesty salad dressing. Plus, it's naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free!

My cooking experience over the years has taught me one undeniable truth: the right sauce can truly transform a meal. A fantastic sauce elevates even the simplest dishes from merely acceptable to extraordinary with minimal effort.

What is Tahini? 

Tahini is a smooth paste made from ground white sesame seeds. A key ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes like hummus, it’s one of my essential pantry items.  While you can make your own, I suggest opting for store-bought to save time. Soom tahini is my favorite; it's top-notch quality!

Equipment

Soom Foods Pure Ground Sesame Tahini

Immersion Blender

Ingredients

¼ cup (64 g) tahini paste. I recommend the Soom brand

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, roughly 1 juicy lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional Additions:

1 garlic clove, grated with a microplane

very finely chopped flat leaf parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint

Za’atar spice blend or ground sumac

Instructions 

This recipe can be prepared using a bowl and a whisk, or the ingredients can be combined in a small food processor. I prefer the latter because it produces an extra smooth, whipped texture.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini paste and lemon juice. It will become thick. Slowly whisk in the water until the sauce can be drizzled from a spoon. Add the salt and pepper (and grated garlic and additional spices, if using) and adjust to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add another teaspoon or so of water as needed. Stir in any optional additions, if using.

Leftover sauce can be placed in a covered container and refrigerated for up to a week. The dressing will thicken in the refrigerator. Add a touch of water to thin it down if necessary and adjust seasonings to taste.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Sauces, Kilbride, Potpourri of Frugality, Homemade, Do it yourself