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Lemon Tahini Sauce is poured into a clear glass Mason jar. The jar sits atop a light blue textured surface with a blue and white plaid linen napkin and three lemon halves surround the jar.

10-Minute Lemon Tahini Sauce (+ 3 Recipe Variations)

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 3/4 cup 1x
  • Category: Sauces & Condiments
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: Greek & Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Homemade tahini sauce is pure magic! All you need is 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this simple Lemon Tahini Sauce. Made with jarred tahini for ease, plus fresh lemon juice and garlic, it’s creamy, bright, slightly nutty, and eat-straight-off-the-spoon kind of good! It’s perfect for drizzling on falafel, shawarma, and other Mediterranean-style dishes! Plus, it’s a great sauce to meal prep for the week because it adds an extra punch of flavor and creaminess to any dish.

My version of a tahini sauce recipe also includes 3 recipe variations for herbaceous green tahini sauce, spicy red tahini sauce, and maple orange tahini sauce. Naturally vegan and dairy-free.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup runny tahini (see Recipe Notes, below)
  • 2 lemons, juiced (4-6 tablespoons lemon juice)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • heaping ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • up to ⅓ cup ice cold waterLemon Tahini Sauce ingredients arranged on a light blue textured surface: runny tahini, lemons, garlic, kosher salt, and cold water.

Instructions

  1. Mix the lemon and garlic: Add the lemon juice and garlic to a bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. How to Make Go-To Lemon Tahini Sauce, step 1: Lemon juice & garlic are mixed in a ceramic bowl with a small mini whisk that rests inside of the bowl. Three lemon halves and a wooden citrus reamer surround the bowl.
  2. Mix the tahini sauce: To the lemon garlic mixture, add in the tahini sauce, seasoning with kosher salt. Stir to combine. While stirring constantly, slowly stream in the water a few tablespoons at a time. Continue stirring and adding water until the tahini sauce smooths out to your desired consistency. The tahini may seize up a bit at first – this is fine, it’ll smooth back out once the water is added. [gallery size="full" columns="2" ids="14310,14311,14312,14313"]
  3. Serve immediately, drizzled over your favorite chicken shawarma or veggie shawarma, hummus bowl or salad, falafel (or falafel burger!), with fresh veggies or whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!A gray platter is filled with a variety of prepared vegetables and a small white bowl of Lemon Tahini sauce in the center for dipping. The sauce and vegetables have been garnished with a lemon wedge and cracked pepper. A blue and white plaid linen napkin, a loose lemon wedge, and a knife with a wooden handle surround the platter.

Equipment

Notes

  • Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, similar in texture to nut butters. You can find tahini in most conventional grocery stores, in the “ethnic” aisle. My favorite tahini is Soom, which you can order straight from Amazon! Trader Joe’s Organic Tahini is also great, and affordable.
  • Storage: Tahini sauce will keep, stored in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. Tahini sauce will thicken as it sits, simply stir in a splash of water or two before serving to loosen it up to your desired consistency. 
  • Easy Tahini Sauce Recipe Variations: 
    • Herbaceous Green Tahini Sauce: To this base tahini sauce recipe, add in up to 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped herbs of choice (e.g. parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, etc.). For a smooth and creamy sauce, prepare in a food processor (rather than whisking as described).
    • Spicy Red Tahini Sauce: To this base tahini sauce recipe, add in up to 3 tablespoons red harissa sauce. Harissa is a spicy Moroccan chile sauce made from red peppers. This is my favorite harissa sauce.
    • Maple Orange Tahini Sauce: Replace the lemon juice in this base tahini sauce recipe with the juice of 1/2 an orange and add 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup. This fall-inspired tahini sauce is slightly sweet and pairs well with naturally savory-sweet dishes, like roasted carrots or sweet potatoes.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/lemon-tahini-sauce-with-easy-variations/