This easy tahini sauce comes together in minutes! The silky, dairy-free sauce is amazing over falafel, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, salads and more.
What is tahini sauce made of?
Store-bought tahini is the base for this easy sauce (tahini is a sesame seed butter, similar to peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds). Fresh lemon juice lends brightness and garlic adds flavor. The only other ingredient you need is water, which thins the sauce and creates a silky, spoonable texture.
Sometimes store-bought tahini can be pretty bitter, in which case you can also add a touch of honey or maple syrup to balance the flavors (a hint of sweetness is also a great way to introduce the sauce to kids!).
How do you make easy tahini sauce?
- In a mini food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt.
- Process until combined (it will turn quite thick).
- Add water and process, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and silky. Feel free to add more water for a thinner sauce.
What to eat with tahini sauce
The tahini sauce is amazing on Healthy Pan Fried Falafel, Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls and Halloumi Salad, as well as on roasted or grilled vegetables, grain bowls, kebabs, lamb burgers and salmon. In addition, it's a fabulous dip for raw veggies, and a delicious vegan salad dressing (you can thin it with water so that it's pourable).
Tips for this recipe:
- Store-bought tahini varies widely in its texture and flavor. I prefer to use a pourable tahini (shake the jar—you should hear it sloshing). Soom brand is my favorite.
- A mini food processor makes it easy to create a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t have one you can simply whisk together the sauce (make sure the tahini you use is pourable).
- If you’re sensitive to garlic, crush the garlic clove and let it steep in the lemon juice for 10-15 minutes (or longer). Discard the garlic clove before using the lemon juice—you’ll still get its flavor without the bite.
- Try this easy tahini sauce over these crispy Pan-Fried Falafel and on this Seared Halloumi Salad!
- For another variation, try this Green Tahini Sauce.
- Find a ton of other easy, no-cook sauce recipes in my book, Build-a-Bowl.
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Easy Tahini Sauce (Vegan)
Equipment
- Mini food processor
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- ½ cup well-stirred tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
- Salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In a mini food processor, process the garlic until finely chopped.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice and honey (if using), and season with salt. Process until combined (it will be quite thick).
- Add the water and process until smooth, stopping and scraping the sides occasionally. Season with salt to taste (feel free to add more lemon juice and/or honey as desired). For a thinner sauce, add another splash or two of water, and process until smooth.
Notes
- Store-bought tahini varies widely in its texture and flavor. I prefer to use a pourable tahini (shake the jar—you should hear it sloshing). Soom brand is my favorite.
- A mini food processor makes it easy to create a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t have one you can simply whisk together the sauce (make sure the tahini you use is pourable).
- If you’re sensitive to garlic, crush the garlic clove and let it steep in the lemon juice for 10-15 minutes (or longer). Discard the garlic clove before using the lemon juice—you’ll still get its flavor without the bite.
- Try this easy tahini sauce over these crispy Pan-Fried Falafel and on this Seared Halloumi Salad!
- For another variation, try this Green Tahini Sauce.
- Find a ton of other easy, no-cook sauce recipes in my book, Build-a-Bowl.
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