Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce | Quick And Easy
This Lemon Tahini Sauce has a creamy texture with a mildly nutty flavour, which is perfectly balanced by the tang of fresh lemon and hint of garlic. Use it as a drizzle on grain bowls or roast veg, as a sandwich spread, toss it through warms salads as a dressing, or just serve it as a dip.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
If you’re unfamiliar with it, tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and it’s a nutritional powerhouse. It forms the base of a Middle Eastern condiment (tahini sauce) that’s largely used as a side dish or garnish but is also used to make dips like hummus amongst many other things.
Tahini contains protein, fibre, and many essential minerals like calcium, phosphorous, and zinc in addition to vitamin E (1,2). It’s also rich in antioxidant lignans like sesamin and sesamolin, as well as unsaturated fats, such as oleic acid. These nutrients are beneficial for cardiovascular health, reducing cholesterol, improving glucose control, and reducing inflammation (1,3).
We get added nutrients from the lemon juice and garlic too. Lemon juice contributes plenty of vitamin C, a strong antioxidant that supports immune function and enhances iron absorption (4). The garlic offers antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties from compounds like allicin, that’s also known to be beneficial for cardiovascular health (5).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
Creating the perfect lemon tahini sauce relies on a few simple ingredients, each playing a role in its texture and flavour profile. Tahini was once difficult to come by but is now found in just about every grocery store. The sauce keeps well in the fridge just needing a good stir each time you take it out to use. This will ensure it gets back to its deliciously creamy consistency
- Creamy tahini – forms the rich, nutty base of this delicious sauce. Its natural oils contribute to the smooth, luscious texture, while its distinctive, slightly earthy flavour provides depth.
- Fresh lemon juice – provides the essential bright, tangy, and zesty notes that cut through the richness of the tahini. The acidity of the lemon also helps to emulsify the sauce, creating a smooth consistency.
- Fresh garlic – adds a pungent, aromatic kick that complements the other flavours perfectly. Garlic mellows slightly when blended into the sauce, providing a subtle warmth without being overpowering.
- Cold Water – helps achieving the desired consistency. Tahini can thicken considerably when mixed with acidic ingredients like lemon juice, and adding cold water gradually helps to thin it out to a pourable, creamy sauce.
- Sea Salt – essential for balancing and enhancing all the other flavours. It makes the lemon brighter and zestier while the tahini flavour deepens too.
Together, these ingredients create a flavorful sauce that is both nourishing and delicious. It’s perfect as is, but can also be served topped with chopped, fresh herbs if serving it for guests. Chopped fresh parsley is my go-to and the most traditional.
How To Make This Lemon Tahini Sauce
This easy recipe comes together quickly and requires minimal equipment. There’s no need to pull out the blender or food processor either. A simple bowl and spoon is all that’s required.
- Mix together the crushed garlic and salt then set aside briefly. This helps to mellow the garlic.
- Add the tahini, half the lemon juice and half the water into a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until it thickens.
- Stir in the garlic and salt mix then add the remaining lemon juice and water and mix well to combine everything.
- Drizzle straight over a meal or if you’d like to thicken it slightly, pop it in the fridge overnight.
If you find the sauce is too thick when you next want to use it, stir through a little water – no more than a tablespoon at a time – to get it back to a pourable consistency.
Substitutions And Variations
Don’t be tempted to use garlic powder in this recipe. Fresh is absolutely best and will give you the best flavor.
Adjust the liquid in the recipe to change the consistency of the sauce. For a much thicker sauce use less water. For a thinner one (though it is already pourable as is), you can add in a touch more liquid. Only add a tablespoon of water, or lemon juice, at a time if doing this or you may find it’s far too runny.
The flavour of this dish is easily adjusted to suit your needs. For a bigger garlic flavor, add another clove of crushed garlic. To make it extra lemony, add in a little more lemon juice or a touch of lemon zest. I would avoid adding more lemon juice if you like the consistency of the sauce because it will thin it out too much.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
A good tahini is runny and smooth, with the oil and sesame paste often separated in the jar. Ensure you give it a good stir before pouring it out to use or you’ll get most of the oil off the top and less of the sesame paste.
There are two types of tahini – hulled and unhulled. The hulled variety yields the creamiest and most flavourful sauce hands down. Unhulled tahini can be quite bitter and gritty, which will affect the overall taste and texture of the sauce.
Always taste your tahini sauce once done as you may find the seasoning needs adjusting. Different brands of tahini paste can vary in intensity, so adjust the salt and lemon to suit your tastes. A little more salt can really make the lemon pop, while a touch more lemon can brighten the whole sauce.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
Store the tahini sauce in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for several weeks. The sauce may thicken slightly when chilled, which is easily fixed by whisking in a tablespoon or two of cold water when you’re ready to use it.
To freeze – pour the sauce into an airtight, freezer-safe container or even into ice cube trays for convenient portioning. Once frozen solid, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. It will keep this way for up to 3 months. Simply defrost cubes in the fridge overnight and stir through a little water to achieve you desired consistency before serving.
This is the perfect make ahead recipe! The flavours continue to meld together the longer it sits and having a ready supply in your fridge makes it great for meal prep too.
FAQ
Tahini is a smooth paste or seed butter made from ground sesame seeds. Depending on the brand purchased some may also add a little oil to help the consistency and occasionally, though less commonly, salt may also be included.
Tahini sauce has a creamy, nutty, and subtly earthy flavor, brightened by the tang of lemon and the pungent kick of garlic. It’s a balanced, nourishing and very versatile condiment.
This sauce is the perfect partner for savoury foods. Try it with felafel, baked vegetables, Over roasted meats, in nourishing bowls or just use it as a dip with crackers.
More Dips And Sauces Recipes
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Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled tahini
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed (about ½ – 1 tsp)
- ½ tsp salt
- Fresh parsley (chopped, to garnish)
Instructions
- Mix together the crushed garlic and salt then set aside briefly.
- Add the tahini, half the lemon juice and half the water into a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until it thickens.
- Stir in the garlic and salt mix then add the remaining lemon juice and water and mix well to combine everything.
- Drizzle straight over a meal or if you’d like to thicken it slightly, pop it in the fridge overnight. This will store well in the fridge several weeks.
Video
Notes
- Always stir your jar of tahini before pouring any into the bowl. This ensures the sesame paste and oil are well mixed and you don’t get a bowl full of oil.
- Use hulled tahini! The unhulled variety can yield a very bitter and gritty sauce.
- Taste as you go. Different brands of tahini can vary in intensity, so adjust the salt and lemon to suit your tastes.
- This sauce does thicken up in the fridge. Whisk through a little water as needed to get it back to your preferred consistency.
- See the storing and freezing section above for more tips on how best to keep this sauce.
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY
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